Faster roads, smarter speed devices unveiled

GARDAÍ HAVE put on display new speed detection equipment which will allow offending motorists to be detected, even in poor visibility and at night.

At the same time motorists travelling on some of the State's newest national roads are to be allowed to travel faster from tomorrow, as Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey designates a number of high-quality dual carriageways as motorways.

Both moves are part of the Government's strategy to place anti-speeding measures at locations where they are needed, while at the same time allowing motorists to take advantage of the higher speeds afforded by newer and safer roads.

The new Garda equipment, which replaces some six "Gatso" speed-detection vans which have been in operation for 12 years, comprises eight automatic number-plate recognition systems which are compatible with the Garda Pulse information technology system.

The new equipment in a mobile Garda vehicle will automatically check the ownership of vehicles as they are passed in traffic and instantly identify vehicles that have been reported stolen.

Detection equipment will also be placed across the State at previously identified "speed enforcement zones" stretches of up to eight kilometres of road.

The equipment is to be targeted at zones with the highest crash records. Eighty per cent of these zones are to be listed publicly on the Garda website.

The remaining 20 per cent will remain secret for "covert enforcement" of speeding and other traffic regulations.

The new equipment was tested for daylight performance on the N3 and night-time performance on the M1.

It was bought from supplier Carra Ireland for almost €700,000.

Announcing the deployment of the new equipment yesterday, a Garda spokesman said speeding was the main cause of traffic collisions in Ireland.

The Garda Síochána Policing Plan 2008 identifies a 10 per cent increase in detections for driving while speeding was one way to measure the performance of the force. The new motorway speed limits increases the permissible speed to 120km/h, up mostly from the 100km/h limit applying to "national" roads.

The designated motorways, which include schemes not yet open to traffic include: 46km of the N9 from Kilcullen to Powerstown, which is to become the M9 when it opens in 2010; the 6km Cashel bypass which now becomes part of the M8; 29km from Urlingford to Cashel which is to be designated the M8 when it opens in 2010; 28km of the Cashel to Mitchelstown road which becomes the M8; and 16 km from Mitchelstown to Fermoy also to become the M8 when it opens by 2010.

Also included are 36km of the N7 from Castletown to Nenagh which will become the M7, as does 38km between Nenagh and Limerick, when they open by 2010.

On the N6, the designations include 28km from Kinnegad to Kilbeggan and 29km from Kilbeggan to Athlone which are open and which now become the M6.

In addition to the speed limit changes, certain categories of road users are prohibited from using motorways, such as learner drivers, vehicles with engine capacities of less than 50cc, vehicles not capable of a speed of 50km/h, and pedestrians and cyclists. These road users will be catered for by the local/regional road network.

Importantly, the redesignation will prevent private access on to the new dual carriageways built by the NRA.

Access to private farms and homes are allowed on a national road but prohibited on a motorway.