GoSafe speed fine raffle suggested by Laois Councillor

A Councillor has suggested tackling speeding by recording all passing vehicles, fining the speeders and raffling the proceeds to the law abiding drivers.  

Independent Councillor Aisling Moran made the suggestion at the latest meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

Cllr Moran had asked in a motion “that Laois County Council request from An Garda Siochana and Go Safe, the number of speeding fines issued at Tankardstown on the L3978 from the 20th of May 2025 to the 1st of November 2025. Specifying the number of cars that were doing under 80km and the number doing over 80km. Also a list of rules and regulations for Speed vans”. 

Cllr Moran said there had been 127 motorists caught speeding at Tankardstown on the first day the van was put in place. She estimated that over 100 of these were driving at speeds below 80kmh, which had been the previous speed limit prior to it dropping to 60kph. 

She said a pilot project was carried out in Sweden where all motorists passing a speed van were recorded and there was “a raffle at the end of the month” of “whatever is brought in” from fines. 

She explained that everyone going over the speed limit was fined and motorists under the speed limit were entered into a raffle for the proceeds of the fines at the end of the month. “Why can’t we do something like that?” she asked. She said “why are we always taking, taking, taking”.

Cllr Moran believed the approach would be a more positive “instead of just taking from everybody and everybody getting angry and annoyed”.    

According to Cllr Moran, speeding in the area under the pilot scheme reduced by 22 percent in just three days.  

She asked that Laois County Council contact Garda or GoSafe and ask for a similar pilot project to introduce the “carrot and stick” approach for a month or two.

Independent Cllr Ben Brennan seconded the motion but didn’t expect any change in GoSafe procedures. 

“That isn’t going to happen here. They are making a fortune here. That is a money making machine sure,” he said of GoSafe’s speed van operation. “Why would they stop it,” he asked. 

Cllr Brennan said “we are still not seeing the traffic slowing down” but the revenue was coming in. “The money that is coming in from that is unreal. It is a money making machine,” he repeated. 

Fine Gael Vivienne Phelan said “we will write to them and see what comes back.” 

Cllr Moran said “at the moment what they are doing is only bringing in money not saving lives”. She said there was a need to think outside the box.