Rural Ireland Thinks poll: Two-thirds say there is no visible garda presence on roads

Commissioner Drew Harris revealed earlier this year the number of trained roads policing officers stood at its lowest level in seven years, at 623 gardaí.

About two-thirds of people in rural Ireland do not believe there is a visible garda presence on the roads, which advocates say shows some road users know “there’s little chance of being caught” if they flout the rules of the road.

An Irish Examiner/Ipsos poll of people living in rural Ireland also found a similar proportion of people think there is not enough of a garda presence in their area in general.