A National Slowdown Day organised by An Garda Síochána, in partnership with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and other stakeholders, is continuing to take place tonight.
The national speed enforcement operation aims to promote safer driving and reduce speed-related collisions nationwide, coinciding with increased road use for Christmas holidays.
An Garda Síochána today warned the public about the dangers of speeding as senior members of the force today admitted they are “very worried” at the number of arrests of people driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. Concerns have been voiced that people are simply not listening to the Christmas road safety campaign.
In the last week alone, the number of road fatalities has increased to 184 so far this year. Ireland is set to record a higher death toll – more than a 10 per cent increase – on road deaths for 2025 than 2024, when 167 people died on the roads.
So far today, members of An Garda Síochána, along with GoSafe mobile and static safety cameras, have detected 392 drivers travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.
AGS said examples of high speeds detected include a car driving at 119km/h in a 50km/hr zone on the Drummartin Link Road in Dublin 14, as well as another driver speeding at 139 km/h in a 60km/hr zone on the Dublin Road in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow.
In Mounthenry, Birr, Co Offaly, another vehicle was travelling at 120 km/h in a 80km/hr zone on the N52 road. In Kereight, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford, a driver was travelling at 156 km/h in a 100km/hr zone on the N11 road, and someone else was stopped whilst driving at 163 km/h in a 120km/hr zone on the M6 road in Killavally, Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath.
“Driving above the legal speed limit – or at a speed unsuitable for current road, weather or traffic conditions – not only endangers the driver but also puts other road users at significant risk,” AGS said on Tuesday.
“Excessive speed reduces a driver’s ability to respond to unexpected hazards and increases the likelihood of losing control, which can result in serious or fatal collisions.
Speeding can have devastating consequences – not just for the driver, but for other innocent road users. The faster a vehicle is travelling, the more severe the impact in the event of a collision.”
DRUG-DRIVING SURGE
Last month, it was revealed that drug-driving has surged in Ireland this year, as Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly warned that cocaine was the substance of choice for most drivers caught with drugs in their system.
A report showed that the number of detections of drug-driving will have increased by about 30 per cent this year compared to last. 2,179 drivers have been caught so far this year driving with drugs in their system according to the Commissioner.
At an Oireachtas Committee in November, Mr Kelly said: “It’s primarily cocaine. We have other concerns about drugs; nitazenes, fentanyl, these types of drugs. And we’ve already seen nitazenes here and they’re extremely dangerous, a lot more dangerous than heroin.
“But for us, it’s the prevalence of cocaine, particularly with young people,” he added.
“I’ve spoken about it lots and lots of times, primarily around people taking cocaine, and they seem to have a complete disconnect between taking it and the damage it’s doing,” Mr Kelly said. “And Deputy Ward spoke about some of the problems in his own area around organised crime, feuds … that’s all fuelled by drugs.”
