More than 900 break speed limit as driver caught travelling at 105km/h in 50km/h zone

Some 946 drivers were detected driving in excess of the applicable speed limit since Thursday. File picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins

More than 900 drivers were caught breaking the speed limit over the bank holiday weekend, including one motorist clocked doing 105km/h in a 50km/h zone in Galway City.

Since 7am on Thursday, August 1, gardaí have been monitoring the speeds of motorists across the country as part of their August bank holiday weekend roads policing operation. 

Since then, 946 drivers were detected driving in excess of the applicable speed limit.

One road user was caught travelling at 105km/h in a 50km/h zone in Seapoint Promenade area of Galway City. 

Another driver was detected driving 91km/h in a 60km/h zone on the North Road in Drogheda, Co Louth. In Cork, a motorist was clocked driving at 134km/h along a 100km/h stretch of the South Ring Road.

Between 7am on Thursday and 7am on Monday, 127 people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant, with 46 arrests taking place in the 24 hours before 7am on Monday morning. 

There were two fatal road traffic collisions in the past 24 hours. 

At about 2pm yesterday, a male cyclist aged in his 60s died in a single-vehicle crash on the Ticknock Road in Dublin.

On Sunday morning, a 28-year-old primary school teacher from Co Mayo was killed in a collision between a van and a lorry in Co Sligo.

The fatalities bring to 115 the number of deaths on Irish roads to far in 2024 — 12 more than the total recorded at this point in 2023.

Speaking on Monday, Inspector Peter Gilsenan said while gardaí had seen generally good levels of compliance at Garda checkpoints across the country, people were still detected "driving at unacceptable speeds and partaking in extremely dangerous driving behaviour such as drug and drink driving".

"Whether there is a road safety operation in place or not, our message never changes — for the sake of yourselves and all road users, please slow down and drive safely. Do not use your phone when driving and never drive under the influence of an intoxicant," he said.