Gardaí 'gravely concerned' as Carlow driver going 141 km/h caught in nationwide speeding operation

Gardaí have revealed that over 200 drivers have been caught speeding in a nationwide operation since Thursday morning, with a Garda spokesperson "gravely concerned" at the high number.

Since 7am on Thursday, Gardaí have been out in force, detecting poor driving behaviours such as driving above the speed limit as part of a the August Bank Holiday road safety operation.

So far, almost 85,000 vehicles have been checked for speeding. 

As part of the operation, a driver on the N81 at Tullow, Co Carlow was 60km over the speed limit, driving 141km/h in an 80km/h zone.

In a statement, Gardaí said compliance with road speeds was "positive with the majority of motorists", but revealed that 211 drivers have been detected speeding, with some have reaching notably dangerous speeds.

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One driver in Cavan was clocked by Gardaí driving at 196 kilometres per hour in a 100km speed limit zone, while another driver in Monaghan was caught doing 106km/h in a 60km/h zone on the Monaghan Road in Castleblayney.

Another driver in Wexford was found to be driving 87km/h in a 50km/h zone in Murntown.

Commenting on these detections, Chief Superintendent in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, Jane Humphries said that anyone willing to rive at these dangerously excessive speeds "has the potential to destroy lives – if not their own, others too".

"Our August Bank Holiday roads policing operation has been underway since first thing yesterday morning and while we are generally seeing good levels of compliance with speed limits on roads around Ireland, I am gravely concerned by the risks taken by some drivers," Humphries said.

"We are out conducting checkpoints and using our technology to detect those speeding nationwide. Speeding is one of the foremost dangerous driving behaviours, along with using your phone while driving and being distracted.

"Please slow down and drive safely today and over the rest of the long weekend ahead as so many of us take to the roads.”