Motorist clocked at 234km/h on Galway motorway holds Irish ‘record’

A motorist was clocked driving 234 kilometres per hour along a stretch of motorway in Galway, Gardaí have  revealed.

The driver was detected speeding at Bookeen, North Loughrea along the M6 motorway, travelling 114 kilometres per hour (km/h) faster than the speed limit of 120 km/h.

The Garda statistics show it was the worst case of speeding in the country this year in any Garda division in the country.

Gardaí say they will be clamping down on speeding during a two week period up to this Sunday, November 3, as part of campaign to raise awareness among drivers to slow down.

The new figures show that nationally, nearly 140,000 fixed charge notices have been issued for speeding from January to September this year.

Overall 6% (8,237) of detections were made between 1km/h to 9 km/h above the posted speed limit. The vast majority of detections, 80% (111,044) were made between 10km/h and 29 km/h above the posted speed limit. Some 14%, (19,302) of detections were for speeds in excess of 30 km/h above the limit; and 1,172 detections were for speeds in excess of 50 km/h above the limit.

A total of 135,820 speeding fixed charge notices were examined for the detected speed of the offending motorist for the period January 1 to September 30, 2013. This is broken down as follows: 107,321 non-intercept detections (Garda Robot/GoSafe vans) and 28,499 intercept detections, including checkpoints.

The Galway Garda Division will carry out a series of targeted, high visibility checkpoints focussing on speeding and roads policing enforcement, incorporating Divisional and District personnel, including Traffic Corps members. Each checkpoint will last for an hour. This high visibility enforcement activity aims to modify driver behaviour, identify breaches of all road traffic legislation and make the roads safer for all, Gardaí say.

“Firstly I would like to thank the majority of those who travel within the speed limits,” said Chief Superintendent Michael O’ Sullivan, Garda National Traffic Bureau.

“It is, however, disappointing that some continue to be detected at a considerably higher speed than is legally permitted. There are drivers out there sharing the road with you and I that have been intercepted travelling at speeds in excess of 200 km/h or in other cases three and even four times the posted limit. This is totally unacceptable in every sense.

“Every driver or rider, and indeed every road user, must always take personal responsibility for how they act on the road. Excessive or inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor in road traffic collisions.”

John Caulfield, interim CEO, Road Safety Authority (RSA) said that inappropriate or excessive speed continues to play the biggest role in causing collisions in this country.

“The faster a vehicle travels the greater the risk of a crash and the greater the severity of the crash. This is simply the laws of physics. My message is to please slow down. It’s not worth the risk of getting a fine, points on your licence, or worse.”