Measures introduced to end M50 'toll-gating'

MEASURES TO end potentially lethal “toll-gating” on Dublin’s M50 – driving within four feet of a large vehicle to avoid toll cameras – have been introduced by toll operator eFlow after a special Garda operation.

Gardaí said some 1,600 cars and vans travelling at up to 100 km/h were recorded “hugging” heavy goods vehicles and lorries last month, “risking potential carnage” in order to block camera views of their registration plates.

Insp Liam Carolan of the traffic corps said video footage from eFlow cameras showed lorries “almost as if they were towing” cars and vans at high speeds as they crossed a barrier-free toll.

He said the Garda concern had nothing to do with toll revenue but with the “potential for carnage”. Should one of the lorries need to brake suddenly, it would not just result in a two-vehicle crash but a multi-vehicle pile-up.

He described such driving as “absolute lunacy”, and said people were not just risking their lives but the lives of others.

Insp Carolan said braking distance for a car was 52.7m in dry weather. In wet weather this increased to more than 81m.

Yet, he said, motorists were prepared to allow just 1.3m, travelling at high speed, in order to save a toll of €2 or €3.

The inspector said the February operation, in which vehicle movements were observed through eFlow cameras and Garda cars fitted with automatic number plate-recognition facilities, had resulted in a number of drivers being caught.

One of these was over the legal limit for alcohol, while another had black masking tape on part of his number plate.

Insp Carolan said a number of others had no front number plate at all.

He said gardaí wanted it to be known that since eFlow had now fitted cameras facing in both directions to the traffic, the rear registrations of all vehicles were now being photographed as well as the front-facing ones.

This would make it impossible to avoid the cameras, so there would be no benefit to motorists “toll-gating” in future.

Insp Carolan also said that the Garda currently has two marked four-wheel drive vehicles and one unmarked car working permanently on the M50 and on the M1 that are fitted with facilities that automatically recognise number plates.

He said these could tell immediately if a car was taxed and insured.