Speed-over-distance cameras go live on the M7 in Co Tipperary

The introduction of speed-over-distance cameras on the M7 motorway in Co Tipperary on Monday is expected to see an immediate drop in the numbers of speeding motorists.

Speed-over-distance cameras record vehicles at two distinct points a set distance apart, and note the exact time a vehicle passes each camera. The operation allows the Garda to accurately calculate the speed of the vehicle.

For example, if Point A and Point B are set 120km apart, the vehicle can legally cover that distance in one hour, travelling at the maximum speed of 120km/h. If a motorist takes less than one hour to travel the distance, then they would be liable for an €80 fine and up to three penalty points. *

The system is to go live on the M7 between Junction 26 Nenagh West and Junction 27 Birdhill at 7am on Monday, a stretch of road which is subject to sudden changes in weather.

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Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said speeding in this area was very dangerous, and was compounded during rain or hail showers, increasing the potential of serious incidents. The authority said it had analysed speed data on the M7 corridor since 2017 and identified speeding as a significant issue with some 40 per cent of drivers exceeding the 120km/h speed limit on certain sections.

The Road Safety Authority has welcomed the installation of the new cameras.

Speeding detections

Some 357 speeding detections were made in the vicinity of Junction 26 and Junction 27 in 2020. Prior to testing the scheme last year it was observed that compliance with the 120km/h motorway speed limit, over the 13km distance, was below 70 per cent. During a subsequent period of the testing and a pilot scheme, compliance levels rose, but remains below 90 per cent.

Such figures are in line with experience elsewhere in Ireland and internationally, including figures for the Dublin Tunnel which is part of the M50. Speed-over-distance cameras were introduced in the tunnel in response to a significant problem in 2017. Figures for 2017 show 4,493 prosecutions for speeding but the following year this dropped by more than half to 2,081.

The latest figures show 791 incidents of speeding in the tunnel, up to Friday last, April 22nd.

In addition to the M7 and the M50, TII also operates speed-over-distance cameras on the M50 and the M1 – but only to advise motorists of average travel times. The cameras are not used by the Garda for prosecution purposes.

The Garda also operates automatic number plate recognition cameras on the M1, but it is understood these are largely for security purposes, in relation to monitoring cross-Border traffic.

International interest in speed-over-distance cameras was increased after a Norwegian study in 2014 which showed they reduced the number of killed or severely injured road users by 49-54 per cent.

Spain’s Directorate General of Traffic announced a plan to install 45 new speed-over-distance cameras last year, bringing the number of sections of road monitored to 127. The number of road sections covered by the cameras in the Belgian region of Flanders more than doubled in 2018, from 31 locations to 68. Similar moves are also under way or in place in many of the EU 27 countries, according to the European Transport safety Council.

* This article was amended on Monday, April 25th, 2022.