More than 850 drivers caught speeding on National Slow Down Day

Speeding drivers were detected by both Garda members and GoSafe safety cameras between 7am on Monday and 7am on Tuesday. Picture: Dan Linehan

More than 850 drivers were caught speeding during the 24-hour period of National Slow Down Day.

The 865 drivers travelling in excess of the speed limit will receive a €160 fine and have three penalty points applied to their driving licence.

The Slow Down Day, which ran from 7am on Monday to 7am on Tuesday, came on the back of a horrific month on Irish roads in August, during which 25 people died.

One of the worst offenders was caught driving 61km/hr over the speed limit in Co Louth.

That particular motorist was detected travelling at a speed of 161km/hr in a 100km/hr zone on the N53 near Philipstown in Dundalk.

In Co Carlow, another was caught driving 163km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M9 near Moanmore in Muine Bheag.

A motorist in Co Kerry was detected driving 30km/hr over the speed limit on the N21 near Dooneen in Castleisland.

The aim of National Slow Down Day is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, to increase compliance with speed limits and to act as a deterrent to driving at excessive speeds.

Road deaths

This Slow Down Day operation coincided with the full return of all schools.

There have been 127 deaths on Irish roads so far this year – 23 more than the same period in 2022 and 36 more than the same period in 2019.

One in five of the 127 deaths so far in 2023, were young persons aged between six and 20. 

Last month alone, 25 people lost their lives on Irish roads, including four young people killed in a Leaving Cert results night crash in Clonmel on August 25.

Two toddlers also died in separate crashes last month.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that “after many years of progress in making our roads safer”, the increase in deaths is “worrying”.

She said that an additional €1.2m would be allocated for more GoSafe speed vans, providing for an extra 1,500 hours of monitoring per month until the end of this year.