121km/h in a 80km/h zone: 310 vehicles caught speeding in blitz to tackle 'speed epidemic' 

The ‘Slow Down’ initiative, timed to coincide with the return of all schools, has taken on increased urgency and relevance due to the shocking surge in road deaths. File picture: Dan Linehan

Gardaí have detected 310 vehicles speeding during a nationwide 24-hour speed enforcement blitz that began on Monday morning.

It comes amid a stark warning from the head of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) that Ireland has a speeding epidemic. The latest operation ‘Slow Down’ comes after an horrific month on Irish roads, during which 25 people died.

Monday’s speed enforcement operation, which began at 7am and runs until 7am Tuesday, features high-visibility speed enforcement by Go-Safe vans at selected safety camera zones and at other locations by gardaí.

Gardaí said the date was picked to coincide with the full return of all schools and the related increase in roads users, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, pedal cyclists, and younger road users.

Since 7am this morning, Go-Safe vans checked the speed of 142,796 vehicles and detected 310 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.

Of the 310 motorists caught driving over the limit, one driver was caught doing 121km/h in a 80km/h Zone on the N2 near Drumcaw, Co Monaghan, followed by another motorist who was doing 99km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the R267 in Magheracar, Bundoran, Co Donegal.

Earlier, one motorist in Louth was caught driving at 161km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N53 near Philipstown, Dundalk.

Another driver was caught breaking the speed limit, driving at 108km/h in a 80km/h Zone, on the R513 in Herbertstown, Co Limerick.

Another driver was detected driving at 151km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M8 near Ballinglanna, North Kilworth, Co Cork.

Examples of high speeds included cars travelling at speeds of:

• 134km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N11 Timmore Newcastle Wicklow 
• 130km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N21 Dooneen Castleisland Kerry 
• 155km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M6 Killavally Tyrrellspass Westmeath
• 139km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M18 Ballyline Crusheen Clare 
• 135km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M1 Lusk Dublin 
• 131km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M6 Glen Athlone Westmeath 
• 121km/h in a 80km/h Zone on the N2 Drumcaw Monaghan Monaghan 
• 134km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N11 Timmore Newcastle Wicklow 
• 67km/h in a 50km/h Zone on the Rochestown Road Cork 
• 151km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M8 Ballinglanna North Kilworth Cork
• 146km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M6 Glen Athlone Westmeath
• 129km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N4 Clongawny Mullingar Westmeath
• 155km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M6 Killavally Tyrrellspass Westmeath

Stark statistics 

Given the alarming increase in the number of road fatalities on Irish roads this year, and the spate of deaths in recent weeks, this operation ‘Slow Down’ has taken on increased urgency and relevance, they said.

• A total of 127 people have died on Irish roads so far this year;
• This is 23 more than the same period in 2022 and 38 more than for the same period in 2019;
• A third of the deaths, 43, were people aged 25 and under; 
• About a quarter of the fatalities, 29, were pedestrians, and another quarter were passengers in vehicles; 
• Staggeringly, a fifth of the deaths to date, 25, occurred in August alone.

As the three victims of last week's horrific single-vehicle crash in Cashel were being buried on Sunday, news was emerging of another fatal road traffic accident involving a cyclist in his 60s near Killorglin in Kerry.

RSA chief Sam Waide said Ireland has a speed epidemic.

“The RSA regularly commission observational studies, where the actual real-life behaviours of drivers at the roadside are logged,” he said.

“In 2021, over three quarters (77%) of drivers observed on 50km/h roads were exceeding the speed limit.

“In addition, almost one in three of drivers observed on 100km/h roads exceeded the speed limit on these higher speed roads.

This must change. We must tackle the attitude that speeding is safe and acceptable.

“Speeding increases both the likelihood of a road traffic collision occurring, and the severity of injury sustained, should a collision occur.

“Speed has a huge impact on whether a vulnerable road user is killed or seriously injured when a collision occurs.

Road Safety Authority CEO Sam Waide and Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman of the Garda roads policing and community engagement unitboth spoke out about the need to address speed on Irish roads. File picture: Julien Behal

“We simply have to ask every single driver to play their part in saving lives, routinely slowing down for every single trip, every single day. National Slow Down Day is the day for us all to start.” 

By the end of August, Go-Safe had detected over 105,000 drivers driving in excess of the posted speed limit.

But gardaí said even driving within the limit, but at a speed inappropriate for the prevailing traffic, road, weather and vehicle conditions is also a significant factor in road traffic collisions.

• A pedestrian or cyclist involved in a road traffic collision with a vehicle travelling at 50km/h has a 50% chance of living. 
• A pedestrian or cyclist involved in a road traffic collision with a vehicle travelling at 60 km/h has only a 10% chance of living.

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, of the roads policing and community engagement unit, said the trauma on our roads so far in 2023 will have lasting impacts on families and communities.

“An Garda Síochána continues to carry out speed enforcement across our roads,” she said.

“Every driver has a personal responsibility to not only drive within the posted speed limit but also to drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions.

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“Speeding is reckless, not just to the motorists themselves and their passengers, but to all road users, especially vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists. This is not just about speeding enforcement detections. It's about saving lives.”