Road safety campaigners in Ireland are urging Google to disable its navigation alerts for garda checkpoints and speed traps, arguing that the feature could undermine efforts to catch dangerous drivers and save lives.
The Irish Road Victims’ Association (IRVA) and Parc have thrown their support behind Green Party Councillor Oliver Moran’s campaign to remove the alert system from Google Maps, citing concerns about its impact on garda road safety operations.
IRVA founder Donna Price, who lost her 18-year-old son Darren in a road crash in 2006, strongly opposes the warning system. “Anyone breaking the rules of the road should be apprehended,” she said. “I don’t want someone who is driving dangerously to be forewarned about a speed trap or a checkpoint. I want them taken off the road, to spare other families the devastation of such needless loss.”
Parc spokesperson Susan Gray has called the alerts “a backward step for road safety” and urged the incoming transport minister to examine whether legislation needs to be strengthened to address the issue.
According to The Irish Examiner, the controversy highlights growing tension between technological convenience and public safety concerns, with campaigners arguing that the lives of road users should take precedence over driver alerts.