More than 1,200 drivers were detected to be speeding in the first 48 hours of the Garda roads policing operation in place for the May public holiday weekend, including one motorist in Co Donegal driving 67 kilometres over the speed limit.
The roads policing operation is taking place throughout theweekend from 7am on Thursday, April 30th to 7am on Tuesday, May 5th.
On Friday, in Milford, Co Donegal, one driver was detected driving at 147 kilometres in an 80 kilometres per hour (km/h) zone on the R245.
On the R180 in Mount Brown, Dublin 8, a driver was found to be driving at 82 km/h in a 50km/hr zone.
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One driver on the N4 in Carrick On Shannon, Co Roscommon was detected driving 30 km over the limit in a 60km/hr zone.
In Ballyadam, Co Cork a driver was detected driving at 141km/hr in a 100km/hr zone on the N25.
In the same 48 hours from 7am on Thursday to 7am on Saturday, almost 110 drivers were detected holding a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.
During this period, no fatalities as a result of traffic collisions occurred.
Gardaí said 55 fatalities have taken place on Irish roads this year.
As part of the roads policing operation, Gardaí are conducting statutory mandatory intoxicant testing and regular, high-visibility policing checkpoints.
To date, a total of 48 people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (alcohol and drugs).
Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are urging all road users to support their efforts to keep them and all others on the roads safe this May bank holiday weekend.
In a statement, Gardaí said, “Every member of An Garda Síochána on-duty this long weekend will be out conducting road traffic enforcement activity.”
“Gardaí will be placing a particular emphasis on detecting those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs this weekend. At no point is it safe or acceptable to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after having an intoxicant like alcohol or drugs.”
Gardaí are urging road users to take extra caution around vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists and reminded motorists to always drive within the speed limit, wear a seatbelt, never use a mobile phone while driving, keep distractions out of the vehicle and give your full attention to the road.
Gardaí also said walking home or cycling under the influence of alcohol or drugs can put you and other road users at risk and asked cyclists and pedestrians to stay visible and observe their surroundings at all times.
