Gardaí to extend speed cameras to hundreds of roads

Gardaí are extending speed cameras to more than 900 extra roads after research showed that three out of four fatalities are occurring in these zones.

While 903 new safety zones are being brought in, some 575 zones are being removed, bringing the total extra roads covered to 328.

This extension comes as 170 hi-tech hand-held speed guns are deployed this month which, unlike previous ones, can operate in all weather conditions and at night and can target vehicles up to 1,000m away.

In addition, all 765 members of Roads Policing units across the country will have, and be trained in, new smartphone devices this month. By the end of March, a further 1,235 will be deployed to detective units, community police officers, and response units.

These devices will allow users to check both the driver and the vehicle to see if it is taxed and insured, if the driver is disqualified and issue fixed-charge notices on the roadside.

Gardaí will also receive warnings on their device if the car is stolen or is wanted in relation to a crime, including any firearms incidents, if the driver is associated with an organised crime gang, or if there is a warrant out for their arrest.

Superintendent Tony Lonergan of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said there will be 1,322 safety cameras nationwide.

He said the latest expansion of the system is based on an analysis of fatal and injury collision data from January 2016 to December 2018. It identified 1,322 zones that had a collision history suitable for inclusion. Of these zones, 52% are on regional roads and 29% are on national roads. The zones accounted for less than 5% of the total road network in the country. These road stretches accounted for 76% of fatalities and 66% of serious injuries.

Supt Lonergan said the 903 new safety camera zones, all available to see on the Garda website, will start on Monday, February 17 at 6am.

He said the speed camera signs are being removed as they instead want motorists to focus on the posted maximum speed signs.

Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing, Dave Sheehan, said the movement in locations of camera safety zones is “data-driven”.

Commenting on an Irish Daily Star report that 82 members of Roads Policing units had failed to record a “lifesaving offence”, such as drink-driving, dangerous driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and mobile phone offences in the last year, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said members working in the area “need to earn their salt”.

He said he wanted to “lift the overall productivity” of the unit, sand said AC Sheehan was dealing with the matter.

“In various cases they will all be examined and look at what those individuals have been doing over the last year,” he said.

“There is a requirement that if you have the privilege of working in something like roads policing, in effect, you do need to earn your salt.”