It would appear Irish drivers are not getting the 'slow down' message as latest figures from An Garda Siochana reveal that there have been in excess of 70,000 speeding detections so far this year. The figures come as Gardaí launch the annual June Bank Holiday clampdown. This weekend is seen as the beginning of the most dangerous time of the year, with over 250 road users dying during summer months over the last five years.
While the number of people dying on the roads has fallen after increases in 2013 and 2014, some 59 people had already been killed so far this year - a drop of 12 on the same period in 2014.
Chief Superintendent Mark Curran from the Garda National Traffic Bureau said that more than 7,500 drivers were clocked travelling at 30km/h or more above posted speed limits, with 420 travelling at 50km/h or more. The highest speed recorded was 195km/h on the M8 outside Ballcolla, Laois followed by 189km/h at Keadue in Donegal on a section of the road with a 100km/h limit.
Worryingly, one driver was recorded travelling at nearly three times the posted limit - 140km/h on the Cappagh Road on Dublin where a 50km/h limit applies. Similarly, a driver in Faha East in Kerry was clocked at 178km/h on a 60km/h road.
There were 11 cases of serious injury and two fatalities on the June Bank Holiday weekend last year, and figures show that June, July and August are among the most dangerous months on the road in Ireland. A total of 256 people have died in these three months over the last five years.
"We just ask people to slow down, be mindful of the other people on the road and it will make a difference," said Chief Superintendent Curran.
"We have a lot of stats which show that if you have a 1 per cent speed reduction in the country, it can reduce the fatality rate by 4 per cent. They are very powerful statistics."