Gardaí have renewed their appeal for caution on Irish roads after 121 motorists were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the August Bank Holiday weekend to date.
The nationwide roads policing campaign began on Thursday morning and is due to remain in place until Tuesday morning. Checkpoints, speed enforcement and patrols are continuing as large numbers of people travel home following the long weekend.
Tipperary RPU arrested 4 motorists on suspicion of intoxicated driving over the last day.
This afternoon Tipperary RPU with the assistance of TII carried out a mandatory intoxicated checkpoint on the M8 Motorway outside Thurles which led to 3 motorists being arrested on suspicion of Intoxicated driving.
Last eve on the outskirts of Tipperary Town, Tipp RPU intercepted a motorist driving while disqualified, the motorist failed a roadside breath test for alcohol, was arrested and their car seized with court to follow.
More than 2,700 speeding offences have already been detected. Among the most serious incidents was a motorist recorded travelling at 172km/h in a 120km/h zone. Another driver was caught doing 115km/h on a 50km/h road in Clontarf, Dublin, while a vehicle on the R463 at Rosmadda West, Parteen, Co Clare, was detected at 101km/h where the limit was 60km/h.
Garda Superintendent Mr Liam Geraghty said bank holiday periods present particular dangers because of the increased volume of traffic. He confirmed that officers were carrying out an extensive enforcement campaign and urged every road user to take responsibility for safety.
The warning follows two fatal collisions on Sunday. A motorcyclist in his 40s died following a crash at Leighlinbridge in Co Carlow, while a man in his 20s lost his life in a separate collision at Pettigo in Co Donegal. Their deaths brought the number of people killed on Irish roads so far this year to 110.
In addition to the drink, drug and speeding detections, approximately 310 motorists were found either holding a mobile phone while driving or travelling without a seatbelt.
The scale of the wider problem is reflected in figures for the first six months of the year. More than 119,000 fixed-charge notices were issued for speeding, over 14,500 for mobile-phone use and more than 3,000 for seatbelt offences. Gardaí also seized upwards of 18,000 vehicles in cases involving no insurance, licence or valid NCT/CVRT, as well as unaccompanied learner drivers.
Motorists travelling through Tipperary are being reminded to exercise particular care on heavily used routes such as the M8, N24, N52 and the county’s extensive regional-road network. Drivers should reduce speed, allow extra time, avoid distractions and never drive after consuming alcohol or drugs.
Gardaí say these basic precautions could prevent another family from receiving devastating news. The message for the remainder of the holiday operation is simple: slow down, buckle up and give the road your full attention.
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