Judge bans man from sulky driving for six months

In what is believed to be the first ruling of its kind in the country, a 24-year-old man has been banned from sulky driving for six months.

Judge Brian Sheridan issued the ban after hearing that Aidan Hooper refused to stop his sulky for gardaí and drove the horse and carriage in a dangerous manner as he tried to get away from them.

The judge made his ruling at Mallow District Court in Co Cork on Tuesday after being told that on the afternoon of Sunday, July 7, gardaí received reports that sulky-racing was taking place on the main Cork-Limerick road (N20) near the village of Ballyhea.

Inspector Eddie Golden said the racing had finished by the time gardaí arrived, but Mr Hooper, of 10, O’Brien Terrace, Buttevant, put his hand over his face and took off on his sulky on the hard shoulder.

Insp Golden said that, at one stage he veered onto the main carriageway, causing a number of vehicles to take evasive action.

He said Mr Hooper “nearly caused a collision” and, despite gardaí trying to stop him, “just kept going”.

Eventually, he was forced to stop the sulky due to a combination of heavy traffic and roadworks.

“His driving was dangerous to other road users and he had no regard to other motorists,” Insp Golden said before Judge Sheridan issued the ban.

Councillor John Collins, chair of the Cork County Joint Policing Committee, welcomed the ban.

The JPC drew up guidelines for the control of sulky-racing after a different incident on the N20 near Blarney in May 2012.

At one stage during that race, people following it drove four abreast behind two sulkys, forcing several oncoming vehicles to swerve to avoid colliding with them.

Mr Collins said sulky-racing needed to be controlled before somebody was killed or seriously injured.

“It shouldn’t happen on a public road unless permission has been obtained in advance to close that road while the race is on. I have no issue with sulky racing providing it’s controlled,” said Mr Collins.

The JPC has sent the guidelines to Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar and is hoping they will shortly be enacted into legislation.

Mr Collins said uncontrolled road races were “a danger to the sulky driver, the horse and other road users”.

“A lot of the racers have no protective gear on them and no reflectors on the carriages. We hope legislation will be enacted before a fatality happens,” he said.