Motorist clocked speeding in South Roscommon during Garda Roads Policing Operation

Throughout the May Bank Holiday weekend, an extensive Garda Roads Policing Operation was in place from Thursday, May 2 to Tuesday, May 7 which detected a notable top speed of 81km/h in a 50km/h zone in Knockcroghery.

There was one fatality on our roads during this period and nine serious injury collisions took place that resulted in ten people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

Since January 1, 2024, 71 people have been killed on Irish roads, fifteen more lives lost in road traffic collisions than this time last year.

Over the Bank Holiday period, An Garda Síochána conducted over 1,090 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) checkpoints. Gardaí detected over 900 drivers for speeding offences while out on Irish roads using hand held speed detection technology.

Chief Superintendent, Jane Humphries of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said: "The vast majority of road users supported our operation over the long weekend to keep people safe, but it is of real concern that almost 200 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence.

"There is only so many ways that we can say this and we won’t be polite about it, never, never, ever get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of drink or drugs. Any day, any time.

"The financial penalty, prospect of losing your licence or criminal offence and time in prison might not be enough of a deterrent to some but the potential of causing serious and/or fatal injuries to yourself as well as others should be enough to stop you.”

A total of 5,349 roadside drug and alcohol tests were conducted by Gardaí which led to the arrest of 196 people for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. That’s one arrest during each hour of our enforcement operation.

Gardaí also seized a total 613 vehicles for a range of road traffic offences under Section 41 of the Roads Traffic Act.