Motorists caught on Slow Down Day

Speed limits and penalty points reviews on the way

Almost half a dozen local drivers had speeds clocked above the legal limit during National Slow Down Day on Monday. They were among 142,796 vehicles checked and 310 detected during the 24 hours from 7am last Monday until 7am on Tuesday, September 4-5.

They included drivers caught driving 76km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the Dublin Road, Cavan Town; 72km/h in a 50km/h Zone at Clones Road Butlersbridge; 74km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the R188 Doocassan, Drung; 71km/h in a 60km/h Zone at Monaghan Road, Castleblayney; and 121km/h in a 80km/h Zone on the N2 Drumcaw, Monaghan.

While visiting Cavan on Monday to open new facilities at Cavan Institute, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, urged drivers to take care on the roads.

He made the comments against the backdrop of significant rise in the number of fatalities on Irish road of late, bringing to 127 the number of fatalities on Irish roads so far this year - an increase of 25% on the same period last year.

More than two dozen people lost their lives in the month of August alone, twice the figure compared to 2022.

According to the latest statistics 65% of those who died were non-drivers.

There were two serious accidents reported on Cavan roads in the space of just 24 hours this week, with the N3 near Applegreen between Cavan Town and Lavey closed for a period after a truck overturned following a collision with a car on Sunday evening, September 3.

There was another another crash involving a car and a truck on the Whitegate to Mullagh road, Edenburt, Virginia, on Monday evening, September 4.

In both cases the drivers of the vehicle required medial attention and were attended to by emergency services personnel.

Specifically referencing students travelling to college in the coming weeks, Minister Harris urged them to cautious, to plan their routes and account for a safe journey time.

His comments also came at the tail end of the Electric Picnic weekend, with thousands of weekend revellers taking to the roads to get home.

“Many are travelling to places they might not have been before, and there is quite rightly a major focus on road safety,” said Minister Harris. “I would encourage students and their families to give themselves the time to required, plenty of time, and to check out your journey, familiarise yourself in advance, because the last number of weeks in this country has just brought such tragedy and pain into so many communities.”

In Cavan Minister Harris was also asked of the government’s plans to overhaul the existing penalty points system.

Under suggested plans drivers who commit more than one offence will face increased penalty points. Under the current system, points are only applied to the most serious traffic violations.

The government is also set to bring forward a review of speed limits.

“I think its important we do all this in a co-ordinated manner,” he said, referencing the respective roles of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport. They are expected to meet later this week.

“There does seem to be some logic on the penalty point suggestion, but I’d like to hear from the line ministers before bringing any proposals. Obviously issues around enforcement are key as well, and for all of us as we go about our business and our daily lives,” said Minister Harris.