While some convictions arose from confusion over new 100km/h speed limit, most are expected to be upheld
There has been a 99 per cent increase in the number of motorists caught speeding in Co Louth and Co Meath, according to an official of the traffic corps.
The statistics show that, in the first six months of last year, 1,417 vehicles were detected speeding, compared with 2,832 during the same period this year.
It has also been confirmed that most of the 380 motorists who broke the "old" speed limit of 80km/h at Killineer, Drogheda, were in fact travelling faster than 100km/h, the "new" speed limit.
The mix-up was revealed last Friday, when gardaí confirmed that they were not aware that the council had increased the speed limit. They said that any driver who had been fined and given penalty points in error for breaching the 80km/h speed limit would be compensated and would have the points removed.
However, Insp Martin Smithers last night said provisional indications were that the vast majority of these drivers were well over the new limit of 100km/h.
Insp Smithers said additional resources were being put into traffic policing and in the past year, new traffic corps units had been established in Ashbourne in south Meath and in Dundalk. He said this had been a factor in the increased level of detection.
"There is more proactive policing in traffic and the membership of the units is now at 43, which is a 50 per cent increase on last year," he said.
The figures also reveal a 20 per cent increase in arrests for drink-driving, with the introduction of random breath tests acknowledged as a factor. "We are breathalysing every motorist, whether they are in a car, HGV, taxi or on a motorbike. We do these checkpoints specifically at weekends and at different times each day," Insp Smithers said.
Chief Supt Pat McGee said gardaí were out early on Monday mornings: "You can be drinking the night before, get four hours sleep and be up at 7am with no visible signs, but you can still have alcohol in your system and get caught.
"I believe the random checkpoints are working very well and they are very effective from our point of view."
Meanwhile, the exact percentage of motorists who exceeded the new speed limit at Killineer will be known shortly. They were all detected doing more than 80km/h up to the time it became known that the council had increased the limit to 100km/h even though the speed signs had not been altered. Nor were the gardaí going by the new limit.
It now appears that most of the drivers will not benefit from the mix-up and will not have their €80 fines reimbursed or their two penalty points cancelled.
"It beggars belief that people are still speeding, still getting penalty points," said Insp Smithers.