Close to 700 drivers caught speeding in 24 hours, as gardaí hit roads for Bank Holiday

GARDAÍ DETECTED 680 drivers speeding in the last 24 hours, as a special roads policing campaign got underway for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Since 7am yesterday, an increased number of gardaí have been on the roads detecting speeding and stopping cars to check for drink and drug driving.

Between yesterday morning and this morning, there were no fatalities as a result of road traffic collisions.

However, some 21 people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant.

Meanwhile, gardaí found more than 680 cars speeding.

One of the worst offenders was a driver in Belgooly, Cork, who was doing 82km/h in a 50km/hr zone.

In Bundoran, Donegal, a driver was going at 81km/h in a 60km/hr zone on the R267, Bundoran, Co. Donegal.

A driver in Gormanstown, Co Meath, went at 104km/h in an 80km/hr zone.

Another driver was caught doing 147km/h in a 100km/hr zone on the N11 in Newcastle, Wicklow.

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The total number of fatalities on Irish roads this year to date is 42.

“Many will be planning to gather with family and loved ones over this Easter weekend and gardaí expect that there will be therefore be more road users on the move,” a garda spokesperson said yesterday.

“Every member of An Garda Síochána on-duty this long weekend will be out conducting road traffic enforcement activity but they need the public’s help.”

Walking home or cycling under the influence of alcohol or drugs can also put you and other road users at risk, they warned.

“An Garda Síochána is urging road users to take extra caution around vulnerable road users, in particular pedestrians,” the spokesperson continued.

“As the evenings become brighter and the weather improves, pedestrians and cyclists are taking advantage of our road network.”

In 2025 there was a 24% increase in pedestrian road deaths compared to the previous year.

The majority of last year’s 41 pedestrian fatalities occurred on lower speed roads, where the limit is 60km/h or less.

Over a third of pedestrians were crossing the road at the time of the fatal collision.

One-in-four of the pedestrians killed were older people, while young people under the age of 25 accounted for 30% of seriously injured pedestrians in 2025.

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