*Photograph: John Mangan
A NATIONAL SPEED ENFORCEMENT operated is to be conducted by An Garda Síochána until 7am on Tuesday morning.
Operation ‘Slow Down’ is supported by the Road Safety Authority began at 7am this morning (Monday) and will run until Tuesday morning.
To date, 127 deaths have occurred on Irish roads in 2023, the figure is 23 more than the same period in 22 and 38 greater than the same window for 2019.
One in three (43) of all deaths to date on Irish roads were of younger persons under the age of 25.
Approximately one in four deaths (29) have been of pedestrians while one in four (30) were of passengers.
An Garda Síochána carries out a number of high profile ‘Slow Down’ days each year, in support of daily speed enforcement operations. The aim of aim of “Slow Down day” is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, to increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.
Operation ‘Slow Down’ on Monday the 4th September was picked to coincide with the full return of all schools and the related increase in roads users, particularly vulnerable road users, pedestrians, pedal cyclists and specifically younger road users.
However with the alarming increase in the number of Road Fatalities on Irish Roads this year, and in recent months, Operation ‘Slow Down’ has taken on increased urgency and relevance.
In 2017, The World Health Organisation estimated that a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% reduction in fatal collisions, and therefore reducing every motorists’ speed is essential to improving safety on our roads.
A motorist in Crusheen was detected travelling at 139km/h in a 120km/h zone in the first two hours of National Slow Down Day.
An Garda Síochána and Go-Safe have detected over 105,000 drivers (to end August 2023) driving in excess of the posted speed limit.
Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement said: “The trauma on our roads so far in 2023 is and will have lasting impacts on families and communities. An Garda Síochána continues to carry out speed enforcement across our roads. Every driver has a personal responsibility to not only drive within the posted speed limit but also to drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions. Speeding is reckless, not just to the motorists themselves and their passengers, but to all road users, especially vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists. This is not just about speeding enforcement detections. It’s about saving lives”.
Sam Waide, CEO, Road Safety Authority, said, “We have a speed epidemic in Ireland. The RSA regularly commission observational studies, where the actual real-life behaviours of drivers at the roadside are logged. In 2021, over three quarters (77%) of drivers observed on 50km/h roads were exceeding the speed limit. In addition, 29% (almost one in three) of drivers observed on 100km/h roads exceeding the speed limit on these higher speed roads. This must change. We must tackle the attitude that speeding is safe and acceptable. Speeding increases both the likelihood of a road traffic collision occurring, and the severity of injury sustained, should a collision occur. Speed has a huge impact on whether a vulnerable road user is killed or seriously injured when a collision occurs. We simply have to ask every single driver to play their part in saving lives, routinely slowing down for every single trip, every single day. National Slow Down Day is the day for us all to start”.
