An Garda Síochána would like to thank the public for their assistance for the duration of last weekend’s "Operation Slow Down”.
It is much to early to have the full picture on the operation however a preliminary review indicates the following.
From 7am on Friday 6th July to 7am on Saturday 7th July, a change in the driving habits of the public was obvious to those carrying out the operation.
This was borne out by analysis of the data gathered throughout the period.
Over 75,000 vehicles were monitored by the GoSafe safety camera vans over the 24 hour period. Out of this number, 154 motorists were detected speeding. This figure is significantly less than would be expected for a similar period, typically where there would be in the region of 300 detections. There have been changes in driver behaviour in safety camera zones and this has resulted in the percentage of road fatalities in zones dropping from an average of 31% during the years prior to the project commencing, to a figure of 18% in 2011.
More than half of the two to three hour monitoring periods ended with no speeding detections. (Typically 5 to 6 detections are encountered during each session)
Assistant Commissioner for Traffic, John O’ Mahoney outlined:
"I would like to thank the public for embracing the Operation, and I urge people to continue to drive within the speed limit and at a speed suitable to the conditions. All reductions in speed help lower the numbers of collisions thereby saving lives.”
Despite the widespread publicity and extensive advertising carried out by the Road Safety Authority with the cooperation of the media and the widespread support from many other organisations, some drivers have failed to change their driving behaviour.
Speed enforcement following the "Slow Down"operation continues. Despite improvements in driver behaviour there is concerns stemming from recent incidents of a drivers travelling at excessive speeds:
• on the 7th and 8th July, motorists driving at 154 Km/h were detected where a 100 Km/h speed limit applied.
• On the 10th July, a motorist driving at 130 Km/h was detected where a 80 Km/h speed limit applied.
Assistant Commissioner O’Mahoney’s plea to such drivers is "Slow Down” – our continued monitoring and detection since last weekend clearly demonstrates some drivers continue to put themselves and other road users at risk.
Assistant Commissioner O’Mahoney is available to for interview about Operation Slow Down between 11. am and 12 noon at Garda HQ on the 13th of July 2012, by request through email to pressoffice@garda.ie.
Garda Press Office
Note to Editors:
During the 24 hour period for Operation Slowdown - 07:00 Friday, the 6th July to 07:00 Saturday, the 7th July there was:-
1 fatal collision resulting in 1 fatality (Wexford)
1 serious injury collision and 1 person seriously injured
Over the course of the same weekend (Friday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59) there were:-
2 fatal collisions resulting in 2 fatalities
5 serious injury collisions and 7 serious injuries
Last Year 2011
The equivalent first Friday last year was the 1st July 2011.
07:00 01/07/2011 to 07:00 02/07/2011
4 fatal collisions resulting in 4 fatalities
No serious injury collisions
For the weekend 00:00 01/07/2011 to 23:59 03/07/2011
4 fatal collisions resulting in 4 fatalities
3 serious injury collisions / 4 people seriously injured
As of 9 am this morning 102 people have died on our roads, up 5 on this day last year.
