Speeding tickets issued to emergency services

Firefighters, ambulance paramedics, and gardaí are being issued with tickets if caught exceeding speed limits.

Members of the country’s three main blue-light emergency services have been sent tickets after being detected by GoSafe safety camera vans.

This is despite emergency services being exempt from speed limits under certain conditions provided for in the Road Traffic Act.

However, tickets can be cancelled if it can be shown the vehicles were used in the performance of duties and there was no danger to other road users.

A Garda spokesman said: “Fixed-charge notices are received by An Garda Síochána for gardaí who were driving a Garda Síochána vehicle while on duty.”

A spokesman for the National Ambulance Service (NAS) confirmed “that the service has been issued with speeding tickets”.

“The NAS position on this is covered by Ambulance Operations (Fleet) Policy NASP009 which identifies that if a NAS vehicle is clearly identified and on an emergency response (ie responding to an emergency call allocated by the National Emergency Operations Centre), that vehicle should be exempted from speed limits under road traffic legislation,” he said.

“An emergency response does not allow the operator of any vehicle to drive without due care and attention. The regard for public safety shall always be the primary consideration,” he added.