Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has decreed that all uniform personnel will be required to dedicate half an hour of every shift to road safety enforcement as a response to the escalating rate of traffic fatalities. The amplified law enforcement activity on roads, according to Mr. Harris, will also aid in detecting other criminal activities that utilise our road networks, such as burglary, human trafficking, and drug distribution offences.
In a report issued by the Garda Press Office, Mr. Harris voiced his concerns about the increasing fatalities on roadways and empathised with the fallout this has on the grieving family and friends of the deceased. He also recognised the emotional strain such distressing investigations placed on the members of An Garda Síochána.
The Garda is committed to exploiting contemporary technology to assist traffic enforcement, as expressed by Mr. Harris. He cited the successful roll-out of traffic and mobility applications to the entirety of the force, which has made data regarding vehicles, drivers, and insurances more readily available to frontline officers, with nearly 20,000 vehicles scrutinised in a single week last month.
Regarding the criticism about the number of Garda members devoted to roads policing duties, Mr. Harris said that almost two-thirds of cases related to driving under the influence were handled by members of An Garda Síochána attached to frontline core units.
However, considering the surge in fatal traffic accidents, there is a pressing need for a shift in our policing methods to boost safety on our roads, emphasised Mr. Harris. Effective immediately, all uniform personnel, both core and non-core, will be deployed for high visibility roads policing activities, lasting 30 minutes per shift. The only exemption to this rule will be in extraordinary service circumstances.