Laois Offaly Gardaí arrest a number of drivers over the bank holiday weekend
‘I am appealing to people to slow down, particularly coming into our towns and villages in Co Laois,’
Laois Offaly Gardaí arrested three people for driving under the influence and caught ten people driving without insurance over the bank holiday weekend.
A national bank holiday weekend Roads Policing Operation focused on speeding, distracted driving, intoxicated driving and people not wearing a seat belt will conclude on Tuesday, August 4.
On Sunday, Laois Offaly Roads Policing Garda Inspector Ralph Holmes said there had been 35 people caught speeding and nine people detected using a mobile phone while driving.
Gardaí across Laois and Offaly had carried out 65 checkpoints at locations as part of the operation with all Garda members taking part in road policing duties.
Inspector Holmes noted 35 people were caught speeding. “People aren’t heeding the message about slowing down,” he remarked.
He said speed is a contributory factor in the majority of serious road collisions yet people were continuing to speed.
“I am appealing to people to slow down, particularly coming into our towns and villages in Co Laois,” said Insp Holmes.
Gardaí conducting speed checks as part of the Roads Policing Operation caught one driver travelling at almost 50km above the speed limit on a regional road in Laois on Friday, July 31.
The driver was detected doing 127km/h in an 80km/h zone on the R428 Kylebeg, Stradbally.
Nationally, on the fourth day of the operation, Sunday, August 3, Gardai said there were two fatalities following traffic collisions on the roads. The total number of fatalities on Irish roads to date this year is 110.
Throughout this weekend's Roads Policing Operation, Gardaí are conducting both statutory Mandatory Intoxicant Testing and regular, high-visibility policing checkpoints.
To date, a total of 121 people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (alcohol and drugs).
Just over 2,700 drivers were detected for speeding offences during the first four days of the operation and just under 310 drivers were detected holding a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.