Drivers speed north to buy radar detectors

FEAR of losing their licences is driving motorists across the Border to buy speed detectors.

“Most of our business is based in the South,” said Wayne Lyons, whose company sells the devices being used in the Republic.

A motorist caught exceeding the speed limit six times loses their driving licence for six months.

For €1,179 (£800) Mr Lyons’s company Speed Camera Defence, based near Lurgan, Co Armagh, will supply the equipment to ensure the motorist is “fully covered” against all forms of speed detection.

The device fits into the dashboard and emits a sound and flashes a light when the car approaches a speed camera area.

“It’s totally legal what I do up North. Everything is fully above board - my tax, VAT. It’s totally legal for me to set up a speed camera on the side of the road and show you how it works,” said Mr Lyons, who advertises on the speedcameradefence.com website.

Since penalty points for speeding were introduced in 2002 there has been a boom in speed detector sales.

Increasingly, they are being sold by companies outside the Republic and on the internet.

But gardaí warn those found using the devices will have them confiscated - and risk prosecution.

Since 1991, it has been illegal here to use a speed detector. It is also an offence to import, fit and supply speed detectors and equipment that jams the garda radar signals and prevents the device being picked up by a scanner.

“I’ve got the garda laser guns - the same as they use, boxed in the same case - and I’ve got pictures of the garda holding the same gun, the same model as I have. I can show you any of the equipment in operation,” Mr Lyons said yesterday.

“I can show you how the garda equipment works; what happens to the garda gun when you’ve got the equipment in your car.”

Up to May 31, garda notices had been issued to 251,667 motorists relating to speeding offences out of 272,079 penalty point notices.

The National Safety Council lists speeding among the main causes of death and injury on our roads, with drink driving and non-use of seat belts.

“All we do is this equipment,” said Mr Lyons. “We’re the importers and distributors of 95% of the market. I’ve had people travel from Cork, Waterford, Wexford, everywhere.

“And that’s only a small amount of our business. Most of it is mail order over the telephone or over the website.”