24-hour operation detects extreme violations including driver doing 139 km/h in 60 km/h zone
More than 1,000 motorists were detected speeding yesterday during National Slow Down Day, a 24-hour initiative run in partnership with the Road Safety Authority from midnight Tuesday through 11:59pm.
An Garda Síochána detected 1,038 drivers exceeding applicable speed limits, with 377 motorists intercepted by gardaí during the operation aimed at promoting safer driving and reducing speed-related collisions as road use increases for Christmas holidays.
Notable violations included several drivers traveling more than twice the speed limit. A driver in Dublin 14 was caught doing 119 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, while another motorist was detected traveling 139 km/h in a 60 km/h zone in Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow.
Gardaí reminded the public and those traveling over Christmas to slow down, take extra care, give driving full attention, and never drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Separately, gardaí announced yesterday that close to 400 new speed camera safety zones will become operational from New Year’s Day. The additional 390 zones will bring the total to 1,901.
Safety cameras operate in areas with histories of speed-related collisions known as speed enforcement zones. Locations are selected following analysis of collated garda data from fatal, serious, and minor road traffic collisions, with further consideration given to locations highlighted by local communities.
Gardaí said the objective is taking a “proactive approach” in preventing fatalities and life-changing injuries by identifying new speed enforcement zones not currently monitored.
Assistant Commissioner Catharina Gunne, of Roads Policing and Community Engagement, remarked there is a “small persistent cohort of selfish, dangerous drivers who choose to drive in excess of the posted speed limit.”
She said some new locations have been highlighted by community members as areas of concern. “By identifying and targeting these high-risk areas, the aim is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions,” Gunne stated.
Some 36 of the new safety camera zones are in Dublin, with 30 in Cork and 26 in Donegal.
The detection of over 1,000 speeding violations in a single 24-hour period demonstrates persistent disregard for speed limits despite heightened enforcement and public awareness campaigns. The extreme violations—drivers exceeding limits by more than 100%—represent particularly reckless behavior endangering lives.
With more than 140 deaths recorded on Irish roads so far this year, speed enforcement remains a critical road safety priority. The expansion of speed camera zones from New Year’s Day reflects recognition that enforcement must expand to match Ireland’s growing road network and traffic volumes.
The timing of National Slow Down Day before the Christmas holiday period addresses statistically elevated collision risks when increased travel, alcohol consumption, and unfamiliar drivers on rural roads combine to create dangerous conditions.
The relatively low interception rate—377 out of 1,038 detected speeders—reflects capacity constraints on gardaí to stop every violation, underscoring the importance of automated enforcement through speed cameras.
Community input on new enforcement locations demonstrates a data-driven approach combining official collision statistics with local knowledge about dangerous driving patterns and near-miss incidents that don’t appear in formal records.
The concentration of new cameras in Dublin (36), Cork (30), and Donegal (26) reflects these areas’ population densities, road networks, and collision histories warranting enhanced enforcement.