Gardaí detected 630 drivers travelling over the speed limit during its 24-hour Slow Down Day.
The speed reduction operation began at 7am on Friday, and of the drivers travelling in excess of the speed limit, 281 drivers were intercepted by An Garda Síochána.
Examples of the high speeds detected include: 73km/h in a 50km/h zone on Pontoon Road, Castlebar, Co Mayo; 82km/h in a 60km/h zone on the R838, Cookstown, Co Dublin; 108km/h in a 80km/h zone on the N6, Baile An Phoill, Co Galway and 136km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N18 Ballinacurra Weston, Co Limerick.
“While this is a welcome reduction on detection rates during previous National Slow Down Days and An Garda Síochána appreciates the public’s role in this, we continue to ask that drivers are mindful of the need to slow down, especially over the busy Christmas period,” a statement from the Garda said.
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Gardaí are conducting a dedicated road traffic enforcement operation throughout the festive period, which began on November 29th and will continue until January 6th.
The Christmas period is one of the busiest on Irish roads. It is also one of the periods during which road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road-traffic collision.
Some 168 people have lost their lives in road traffic collisions on Irish roads this year, according to An Garda Síochána.
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