Up to a third of vehicles regularly exceed the speed limit, new data suggest. Tests at 80 roadside locations show up to 30 per cent of cars and 37 to 41 per cent of lorries exceeded the speed limit.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, last night referred to the unpublished figures, compiled by the National Roads Authority, when he stressed the need for greater enforcement of existing powers in the hands of the Garda rather than new legislation or regulations.
The figures also showed that last December, when the Garda presence was increased to curb drink-driving, all vehicles reduced their speed, he said.
Mr Dempsey has said a "huge [Garda] presence" is necessary to enforce regulations more strictly since it seems "some kind of craze is hitting people".
Following the deaths of seven people in less than 24 hours, bringing fatalities to 20 in September alone, Mr Dempsey said yesterday that while law enforcement on the roads had increased greatly in the past year, "there is room for improvement".
"Until such time as the new rules and regulations are in place in relation to fixed cameras, you are talking about more gardai on the roads detecting speed.
"The evidence is before us with these deaths . . . We must have a greater presence, a huge presence, of gardai on the roads," he added.
In spite of the July launch of the State's first national road safety strategy, Mr Dempsey said anecdotal evidence suggested "people are increasing speed rather than slowing down".
A tougher attitude by some judges at least was indicated yesterday. Speed was described as the greatest killer on Irish roads by Judge John Brophy at Dun shaughlin Court when he disqualified 10 motorists from driving for periods of one to four months for speeding. Excessive speed was a factor in 129 of the road deaths so far this year, he said, with drink-driving taking second place.
Told that a defendant's licence was important for his work, Judge Brophy said: "So are the lives of the people who have been killed."
Meanwhile, Mr Dempsey indicated that constitutional difficulties had emerged over Government plans to implement a penalty points system for minor traffic offences. The five-year road strategy proposed that such offenders could have their driving licences withdrawn for a period.
But it is understood that constitutional difficulties mean that removing a driving licence will have to be decided by a court and will require legislation.