103,968 on-the-spot fines

More than 100,000 speeding fines have been given to drivers this year and almost 6,000 summonses for drink-driving have been …

More than 100,000 speeding fines have been given to drivers this year and almost 6,000 summonses for drink-driving have been issued. The unpublished figures compiled by the Garda National Traffic Policy Bureau show that 103,968 on-the-spot fines were issued for speeding between January and October, an average of more than 10,000 a month.

A Department of Justice source said three out of four drivers paid the £50 speeding fine on time. In the first five months of Operation Lifesaver in 1997 and 34,202 speeding prosecutions were initiated, 42,562 speeding fines were issued on the spot along with 44,357 fines for not wearing seat belts and more than 3,100 dangerous driving summonses and 2,803 drink-driving summonses.

Catherine Cleary

Catherine Cleary

Catherine Cleary, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a founder of Pocket Forests