National Slow Down Day: Motorist recorded driving 164km/h in 120 zone

Michael Bolton

Gardaí detected 800 motorists speeding on National Slow Down Day on Wednesday.

The highest speed recorded on Wednesday was a motorist driving 164km/h in a 120km/h zone.

Other high speeds included a motorist driving 148km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N3 near Virginia, Co Cavan.

Another driver was detected driving 134km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N52, Durrow Demesne, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

On the N11, Timmore, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, a motorist was recorded driving 131km/h in a 100km/h zone.

According to gardaí, speeding remains one of the leading causes of road traffic collisions.

Wednesday's National Slowdown Day was the first speed enforcement operation since the introduction, on February 7th of a new default 60km/h speed limit on many rural local roads, replacing the previous default 80km/h limit.

There were no fatalities reported as a result of road traffic collisions, during this time.

In a statement, gardai said: "The aim of National #SlowDown Days is to remind motorists of the dangers of speeding, encourage a national conversation on the impact of speeding, to increase overall compliance with speed limits in place nationwide and to deter and detect those that are intent on driving at excessive or inappropriate speed. "