Driver at 147km/h in 80km zone among 1,200 found speeding

A motorist travelling at 147km/h in an 80km zone was among 1,200 drivers detected speeding during the first 48 hours of a bank holiday weekend road traffic operation.

The garda operation began at 7am yesterday and will continue until 7am on Tuesday, 5 May, with gardaí conducting intoxicant testing and high-visibility checkpoints around the country.

Over 1,200 drivers were detected speeding during the first 24 hours of the operation.

They included a motorist driving at 147 km/h in an 80km/hr zone on the R245, Milford, Co, Donegal; 173 km/h in a 100km zone on the N87, Belturbet, Co Cavan; a motorist driving at 111 km/h in a 60km zone on the R267, Bundoran, Co Donegal; and a motorist driving at 107 km/h in an 80km zone on the R684, Dunmore East, Co Waterford

So far, 48 people have been arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (alcohol or drugs).

During the same period, nearly 110 drivers were detected holding a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.

An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are appealing to road users to support their efforts to keep people safe during the bank holiday weekend.

Gardaí are urging road users to take extra caution around vulnerable road users, in particular pedestrians and cyclists.