From last Thursday morning, over 200 motorists have been apprehended for overspeeding on the highways of Ireland as part of an intensified road policing campaign. One driver was even spotted speeding at a shocking 196km per hour on a national road in Co Cavan.
This is part of an August Bank Holiday road safety operation where law enforcement officers have enhanced their presence on the roads from 7am on Thursday. The main purpose was to watch out for dangerous driving habits, including exceeding the speed limit. As part of the operation, around 85,000 vehicles have been inspected for speed violations.
While a Garda spokesperson appreciated that a vast majority of drivers adhered to the prescribed speed limits, it was indeed disquieting to see that 211 motorists were travelling faster than the limit, some showing particularly hazardous driving behaviour.
Garda highlighted several instances of such risky behaviour, including one motorist who was stopped on the N55 at Kilcogy in Co Cavan doing nearly double the speed limit at 196km per hour. Another car was caught going at 141km per hour in an 80km zone on the N81 at Tullow, Co. Carlow, while yet another was travelling at 106km per hour in a 60km zone on the Monaghan Road in Castleblayney.
Chief Superintendent, Jane Humphries of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, expressed grave concerns over the life-threatening risks some motorists were taking. She also warned that law enforcement officials would continue to carry out checkpoints and use technology to identify speeding culprits across the country in the coming days.