Uninsured driver caught speeding at 216km on N7

An uninsured driver has been caught speeding at 216 km/h on the N7 on Wednesday.

Gardaí said the speed limit for the road where the driver was detected speeding was 100km/h.

The motorist was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and the Audi car he was driving was seized.

So far this year a total of 161 people have been killed on Irish roads, an increase of 31 compared to this time last year. Last year 162 people were killed in collisions.

Just two weeks ago, gardaí detected a total of 341 road users travelling in excess of the speed limit during national “slow down day”.

During this 24 hour period, the highest speeds recorded by gardaí were 139 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on the N24 at Whitehall Limerick and 139km/h in a 100 km/h zone on the N5 at Drummindoo in Westport, Co Mayo.

Chief Supt Aidan Reid, of the Garda National Traffic Bureau, said during the initiative the higher the speed the greater the injury in the event of a crash.

“Excessive or inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor in road crashes. This is not just a catch phrase, this is a stark fact, proven by the analysis of 4 years of fatal collision reports.”