Gardaí plan crackdown on ‘life saver offences’
National Road Safety Week
Gardaí across the Cavan-Monaghan and Louth will be targetting what they consider “life saver offences” this Irish Road Safety Week (IRSW), which runs from Monday-Sunday, October 7-13.
Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern says officers on patrol will crackdown on three main offending behaviours - speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, and people not wearing seatbelts.
As of Monday last, a total of 138 people had been killed on a country’s roads so far in 2024.
To raise vigilance and make their presence felt on local roads, local gardaí took part in ‘Operation Guide’ across the months of July and August.
“We are going to increase our visibility in terms of roads policing throughout the three counties,” said Chief Supt McGovern, adding that there be enhanced targetting of “repeat offenders” in particular.
‘Behaviours’
The aim, explained Chief Supt McGovern, is to “reduce serious injury collisions by promoting responsible driver behaviours”.
He added: “That’s what we’re looking at, during Operation Guide, and now with Road Safety Week.”
Year round enforcement of road traffic laws is a core element of road safety says Chief Supt McGovern, but he acknowledges that initiatives such as IRSW can provide a timely reminder to those preparing to drive, especially coming into the dark winter months.
He noted that during Operation Guide local gardaí made over 800 ‘life saver’ detections in the division, and states that these behaviours only require the driver themselves to enact “conscious change”.
There are consequences, he warned, to such actions and poor driver behaviour - some more lasting than others.
“You could lose your licence and face significant financial penalty, but far worse is the possibility of seriously injuring or killing someone else on the road,” stated the region’s top cop, who meanwhile welcomed that commissioning and testing has begun for average safety camera on N3 between Cavan and Belturbet.
Average speed cameras
The average safety camera sites have been chosen because they meet the criteria as being high collision sites with numerous road traffic collisions, involving injury, serious injury and fatalities. Studies conducted in Sweden and Norway have shown that safety cameras can reduce fatal collisions by between 38% and 49%; and a London School of Economics Study found fatal collisions decreased by 58 to 68% within 500 metres of safety cameras.
“They are something that have been in place in other parts of the country. We see them there in the Dublin Port Tunnel and on the M7.
They are effective in leading drivers to reduce their speed. So that has to be welcomed,” said Chief Supt McGovern.
‘Alarming’ speeds
During Operation Guide he reports that some of the speeds drivers were caught travelling at were “alarming”. In Cavan one driver was stopped driving at 173kmph in a 100 zone. In Louth, someone was collared speeding at 196kmph.
“We have 15 persons prosecuted for dangerous driving during July and August,” he says, with a conviction in court for such an offence bringing with it a mandatory two-year ban for the motorists involved.
Chief Supt McGovern concluded by thanking the public for their support to date, and urged: “Think of other road users. We all have a responsibility on the road. It’s not just about enforcement.
Awareness and responsible driver behaviour is for everybody. Please slow down and drive at an appropriate speed, always wear your seatbelt and do not allow yourself to be distracted by a phone while driving.”