Police have caught more than 660 motorists breaking speed limits on Irish roads since Monday morning, including one driver in Offaly who was travelling at 136km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Police have been monitoring the speed of drivers across the country since 7am on Monday as part of Operation Slow Down Day. Of the 157,298 vehicles checked, 665 drivers were found speeding.
While the vast majority of drivers are keeping to the speed limit, police say there have already been some “worrying violations”.
In Tullamore, County Offaly, a vehicle was found travelling at 136km/h in a 50km/h zone. The driver was subsequently arrested for dangerous driving and charged.
A driver was clocked doing 162km/h in a 100km/h zone in Oranmore, Co Galway, on Monday evening. Gardaí said the driver was found to be drunk. He was arrested and appeared at Tullamore District Court earlier on Tuesday.
Other notable findings include:
- 90km/h in a 60km/h zone on the N20 Baltydaniel West near Mallow Cork;
- 122km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N71 Ballinagrumelia road near Falls of Cork;
- 131km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N18 Ballinacurra (Weston) road in Limerick;
- 89km/h in a 60km/h zone on the N4 Dryshoge Carrick-on-Shannon in Roscommon;
- 116km/h in an 80km/h zone on the N17 Tobertelli-Achonry road in County Sligo;
- 141km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N4 Greatdown The Downs in Westmeath;
- 177km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M6 Killavalley-Tyrrellspass motorway in Westmeath;
- 140km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N3 Drumbarlom Belturbet in County Cavan;
- 78km/h in a 50km/h zone on Leopardstown Road in Dublin 18;
- 98km/h in an 80km/h zone on the N78 Mackaley-Ballyfoyle road in Kilkenny.
“The reality is that excessive and inappropriate speed continues to contribute to serious road traffic collisions that result in life-changing injuries and even death,” said National Road Policing Authority Chief Superintendent Jane Humphreys.
“It is positive that yesterday's findings indicate that motorists are generally making an effort to comply with speed limits across the country, but it is the ineffective action and the risks taken by the few that can have the most damaging consequences.”
Chief Inspector Humphreys said while the vast majority of drivers were speeding safely, there were those who continued to exceed the speed limit.
“We will continue to focus on drivers who do not follow the rules as they pose a danger to themselves and other road users,” she said. The operation comes after 127 people were killed on Irish roads in 2024.