Local area to be targeted with increased mobile speed checks

Locations in Westmeath, Roscommon, Offaly and Longford are among those to be subject to increased deployment of mobile safety cameras as part of a crackdown on speeding.

Gardai announced today that over 4,200 additional mobile safety camera monitoring hours would be deployed between now and the end of the year.

It follows the announcement earlier this week by the Minister for Justice and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that an additional €1.2 million is to be allocated towards increasing the presence of Mobile Safety cameras.

Gardai have now said that they will focus the increased deployment of mobile safety cameras in the seven Garda Divisions where there is a higher risk of fatal road traffic collisions occurring.

Figures released by Gardai show that the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford and Meath/Westmeath divisions are among the three Garda divisions with the highest number of fatal road traffic deaths in 2023.

Gardai say that there were 19 road deaths in Clare/Tipperary, 16 in Mayo/Roscommon/Longford and 12 in Meath/Westmeath.

The other four divisions where the extra mobile safety camera hours will be located are Galway, Kildare/Laois/Offaly, Cavan/Monaghan and Cork North/West.

The primary purpose of this additional deployment will be to reduce speed-related collisions, reduce injuries and above all save lives.

The purpose of deployment of mobile safety cameras in high-visibility vehicles is to change road user behaviour and reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injury road traffic collisions occurring on roads, particularly on stretches of roads where there is a history of collisions.

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement said: "Mobile Road Safety Cameras are deployed within identified stretches of road with a known traffic collision history or the prevalence of vulnerable road users.  Mobile Safety Cameras are designed to change driver behaviour in these high-risk stretches of road.  The additional hours are being targeted within the areas where the highest proportion of fatal road collisions are taking place.  However Mobile Safety Cameras will continue to operate as normal also throughout the rest of the country.”

For a full list of safety camera locations across the country visit www.garda.ie.