Drivers urged to take extra care on the roads this August Bank Holiday Weekend

With thousands of motorists taking to the roads this Bank Holiday weekend, senior roads policing officers of an Garda Siochana came to Navan to highlight the need for drivers to take extra care while driving and to never drink or take drugs and drive.

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing & Community Engagement provided a media briefing ahead of the August Bank Holiday at the Navan exit J8 N3 where members of local roads policing units carried out checks for drink, drug driving and documentation.

According to Gardai, Bank Holiday Weekend periods are one of the busiest periods on Irish roads, they are also one of the periods where road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.

An Garda Síochána are conducting a dedicated enforcement operation over the Bank Holiday weekend which commenced at 7am, Thursday 3rd August 2023 and continue until 7am, Wednesday 9th August 2023.

To date, 100 people have lost their lives in Road Traffic Collisions on Irish roads.

Preliminary analysis of Road Traffic Fatalities for the 1st half of the year (up to 30th June 2023):

• Twenty-three young people aged 16-25 lost their lives

• Almost the same number of 16-25 year olds killed (23) in the first half of 2023 as with same period in 2021 and 2022 combined (26)

• Almost half (49%) of all deaths on the roads occurred at night-time (8pm-8am), when the roads are at their quietest.

• Three counties (Galway - 11, Mayo – 10, and Cork - 9) accounted for almost one third of all fatalities

In the same period, up to 30th June 2023 An Garda Síochána has

• Carried out over 24,000 Mandatory Intoxicating Checkpoints

• Arrested over 3,900 drivers for Driving While Intoxicated Offences

• Issued nearly 77,500 Fixed Charge Notices for speeding (in conjunction with our Road Safety Partners ‘GoSafe’)

• Issued nearly 2,900 Fixed Charge Notices for Not wearing Seatbelts

• Issued nearly 9,900 Fixed Charge Notices for Not wearing Seatbelts

An Garda Síochánas Road Safety Partners ‘GoSafe’, whilst primarily identifying high levels of compliance, have recorded the following unacceptable speeds on public roads

138 Km/h in a 50 Km/h zone

168 Km/h in a 60 Km/h zone

188 Km/h in a 80 Km/h zone

236 Km/h in a 100 Km/h zone

224 Km/h in a 120 Km/h zone

"An Garda Síochána continue to appeal to all road users, for whatever reason you will be using the roads this weekend, whatever your mode of transport may be, to stay safe on the roads this weekend."

***

How does a roadside drugs test work.. Garda Chris Lynch of the Delvin Roads Policing Unit Explains