Gardaí plan speeding clampdown this weekend

Gardaí plan to have a major clampdown on speeding over the long weekend.

They are concerned that the message that “speed kills” isn’t getting through with the latest figures showing over 70,000 detections recorded already this year.

The June Bank Holiday weekend is seen as the starting point for what is traditionally the most dangerous time on Irish roads.

Over 250 road users have died in the past five summers but Chief Superintendent Mark Curran believes drivers can stop the carnage.

"We just ask people to slow down, be mindful of the other people on the road and it will make a difference," said Chief Superintendent Curran.

"We have a lot of stats which show that if you have a 1% speed reduction in the country, it can reduce the fatality rate by 4%. They are very powerful statistics."