Gardaí appeal for safe driving over Christmas

A driver was detected travelling at 117kph in a 100kph zone on Cork’s South Ring Road in the first week of An Garda Síochána’s Christmas road safety campaign, an offence carrying an automatic three penalty points and an initial fixed charge fine of €160.

The dedicated garda traffic enforcement operation, which runs throughout the Christmas period, began on Friday, November 29, and continues until Monday, January 6.

During the first week of the operation, between Friday, November 29, and Thursday, December 5, there was one fatality on Irish roads and 20 serious collisions that resulted in a number of people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

Over the past week, gardaí carried out more than 1,300 checkpoints, including both statutory mandatory intoxicant testing (MIT) and regular, high-visibility policing checkpoints.

One-hundred-and-thirty-four people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant, which is defined as alcohol and/or drugs.

More than 2,300 drivers were detected for speeding offences by members of An Garda Síochána’s roads policing unit and GoSafe mobile safety camera vans.

Notable top speeds detected include:

• 117kph in a 100kph zone on the South Ring Road, Cork;
• 91kph in a 50kph zone on the R394, Milltown, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath;
• 141kph in a 60kph zone on the R188, Doocassan, Drung, Co Cavan;
• 128kph in an 80kph zone on the N2, Drumcaw, Co Monaghan;
• 180kph in a 120kph zone on the M6, An Carn Mór Thiar, Órán Mór, Gaillimh;
• Approximately 430 vehicles were seized by gardaí for a range of offences under the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
• In addition, approximately 200 fixed charge notices were issued for the offence of using a mobile phone while driving.

The Christmas period is one of the busiest on Irish roads, and it is also one of the periods during which road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.

To date, 165 people have lost their lives on Irish roads.

A spokesperson said An Garda Síochána was appealing to all those taking to the roads over the Christmas period to slow down, take extra care, and to give their driving their full attention.