Garda speed traps

padh said:
When a speedtrap is operated by Garda , do they have to stop you to issue penalty points . I know the fixed Gatso cameras photo the Reg no. and one gets done that way....but a Garda held speed gun does it record the number plate ...( you kno wthe ines that look like hairdriers or video cameras)
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No a speed gun indicates speed and records nothing else. If you are not stopped you have dodged a bullet.
 
RonanC said:
But what is being done about it?? ah sure just blame the people who speed on the N7, N4 and N11... Its their fault. But is it?? Tell me the last time somebody lost their life on either of those roads.. so why do the Gardai constantly set up speed checks here? Looks like Easy Money to me and lets be honest it does.
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Well said, you've hit the nail on the head here Ronan, these are the safest roads in the country and there are always speed checks on them. And yet everyday we are hearing about people being killed in little country towns and narrow lanes. These towns probably only have a couple of garda working there and the station closes in the evening, yet on the main roads there are plenty of them standing around. I'm not blaming them personally, I'm sure they are told where to go, but it really makes you look at the how the country is being run.
 
RonanC said:
I am sickened by the amount of young drivers being killed on our roads. It really gets to me. I am young enough and wonder could this happen to me, does this happen to all young drivers?? But then i think. I feel im pretty well educated on the roads, speed limits and so on.

But what is being done about it?? ah sure just blame the people who speed on the N7, N4 and N11... Its their fault. But is it?? Tell me the last time somebody lost their life on either of those roads.. so why do the Gardai constantly set up speed checks here? Looks like Easy Money to me and lets be honest it does.
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According to Figures, 100% of detection work is carried out on these roads and that mirrors the amount of accidents occurring on the road. The reality is that the amount of work done on minor roads and city streets near schools and built up areas rarely gets attention.
Moreover regardless of how few accidents occur on these big roads tehy ahve to be policed more regularly or else people would drive at whatever speed they felt like if they thought they'd never get caught.
 
roxy said:
Well said, you've hit the nail on the head here Ronan, these are the safest roads in the country and there are always speed checks on them.
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Has it occurred that maybe they are the safest roads 'because' there are speed checks on them? That if there wasn't speed checks on them that more people would speed on them, therefore causing more acidents?
 
Blinder said:
Has it occurred that maybe they are the safest roads 'because' there are speed checks on them? That if there wasn't speed checks on them that more people would speed on them, therefore causing more acidents?
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they are the safest roads because they were built for higher speed driving. You cannot drive head on into oncoming traffic. They are generally well maintained and well surfaced and well lite. I do agree that Gardai still need to patrol these roads and patrol them in HIGH VISABILITY(it doesnt cost them anymore to do this) to stop people from speeding, becuase this is what i think.. If you are the type of person who will speed on the N4 then you will also speed on the N72 or whatever smaller national road..
 
Have to say I agree with RonanC and Roxy - the only speed checks I ever see are on open dual carriageways where there is plenty of visibility. The majority of accidents are on small, country roads or late at night when, from my experience, there are NEVER gardaí around.

Some of the roads I travel daily are small byroads with a speed limit of 80kmph which IMO is too fast yet on another part of my trip the dual carriageway could easily be increased to 110kmph - where are the few speed checks I seldom see - on the dual carriageway!

I don't drink much and so am DD quite a bit and have driven anything from 10-30miles late at night/early hours of morning for several years - through Cork City and busy suburbs and I have only ever been stopped once! It's at this hour of the night that you see the dangerous driving - people taking chances with speed & drink - messing in the car, taking their eyes off the road, falling asleep and where are our gardaí?
 
I think Ronan has summed it up with his reply, they are better roads with better visiblilty on them. I'm not saying they shouldn't have speed traps at all on them, I just think they should spread the garda around a bit, instead of keeping them in the same places all the time. Every Sunday afternoon for the past 2 years there has been a spped check on the Belgard Road near Newlands Cross without fail. There's always at least 4 of them, sometimes 2 or 3 motorbikes as well. Looks to me like they're just passing time till they can knock off for the day as they never seem to stop anyone. Everyone knows they're there at this time anyway and they know that, hence an easy day. They would serve the country better if they were in the dangerous spots, for instance that spot in Donegal with that awful crash last year where a number of teenagers were killed.
 
Lorz said:
I don't drink much and so am DD quite a bit and have driven anything from 10-30miles late at night/early hours of morning for several years - through Cork City and busy suburbs and I have only ever been stopped once!
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Have yet to see a speed check late at night, but being in a similiar position as DD at night in Cork, I've been stopped into double figures in the last two months.

Quick check of tax and insurance usually, sometimes a drop the window to check for a smell of alcohol or check the licence (only once noticed them check the tyres which I thought would be more common).
It is usually the same spots though, the entrance to Kent station, the far side of the train station car park (towards Jurys Inn), a little out the Airport road etc. Yet to come across a speed check around Cork city while I've come across plenty of speeding drivers!
 
roxy said:
I think Ronan has summed it up with his reply, they are better roads with better visiblilty on them. I'm not saying they shouldn't have speed traps at all on them, I just think they should spread the garda around a bit, instead of keeping them in the same places all the time.
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But see this is the thing, The Gardai have published figures which show that Big roads only get a proportional amount of attention. Obviously because they are well-used roads they are going to be seen by more people. But in reality they do the small roads get a proportional amount of attention. A lof of the people I know who have got points for speeding have got them for breaking lesser speed limits or for speeding in rural areas

Ronan makes the point that The gardai should be on the Main roads but that they should be visible. That's correct to a point, but they also need to be hidden, otherwise there is no deterrent if you can just slow down as soon as you see them.
 
whackin said:
Ronan makes the point that The gardai should be on the Main roads but that they should be visible. That's correct to a point, but they also need to be hidden, otherwise there is no deterrent if you can just slow down as soon as you see them.
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but the point I tried to make to the Traffic Corp is that if you speed and get caught by a Gatso van or a unmarked garda car or a garda hiding behind a bush, will you slow down?? I dont think so, because you didnt see them, didnt know they were there... You wont even think anything about it really.. you'll continue to drive on as you'd normally do...
 
RonanC said:
but the point I tried to make to the Traffic Corp is that if you speed and get caught by a Gatso van or a unmarked garda car or a garda hiding behind a bush, will you slow down?? I dont think so, because you didnt see them, didnt know they were there... You wont even think anything about it really.. you'll continue to drive on as you'd normally do...
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Until you get caught 6 times (or less depending on how mush you value being able to drive).
 
whackin said:
Until you get caught 6 times (or less depending on how mush you value being able to drive).
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exactly what happened to an elderly women on the N4 at the Spa Hotel.. got caught 6 times by the fixed speed camera and was notified of them all at the same time.. lost her license..

She didnt even know and hadnt got the chance to change her ways... But at the end of the day she shouldnt have been speeding (but if you know the area in issue you'll kind of sympathise with her)
 
RonanC said:
exactly what happened to an elderly women on the N4 at the Spa Hotel.. got caught 6 times by the fixed speed camera and was notified of them all at the same time.. lost her license..

She didnt even know and hadnt got the chance to change her ways... But at the end of the day she shouldnt have been speeding (but if you know the area in issue you'll kind of sympathise with her)
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Sorry for finding humour in this Ronan, you wrote it very funny though! An elderly woman speeding 6 times! Not the usual stereotype at all!
 
RonanC said:
exactly what happened to an elderly women on the N4 at the Spa Hotel.. got caught 6 times by the fixed speed camera and was notified of them all at the same time.. lost her license..

She didnt even know and hadnt got the chance to change her ways... But at the end of the day she shouldnt have been speeding (but if you know the area in issue you'll kind of sympathise with her)
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That's a different issue. That's an administration issue that has nothing to do with Speed Cameras on a main road.
Regardless, she shouldn't have been speeding. She was obviously a consistently breaking the law.
Plus, I'm sure that story is an urban legend.
 
Ok here's a perfect example. I've just been down to Tallaght village to 'do' the banks. There was 4 garda setting up a checkpoint or speedtrap on the dual carriageway, couldn't see which. Now on the friday of a Bank Holiday in Talaght Village I can't see anyone doing more than 10 mph in that village with the traffic so bad never mind breaking the speed limit. My only hope is that they were rookies being shown the ropes in preparation for the weekend.
 
but the point I tried to make to the Traffic Corp is that if you speed and get caught by a Gatso van or a unmarked garda car or a garda hiding behind a bush, will you slow down?? I dont think so, because you didnt see them, didnt know they were there... You wont even think anything about it really.. you'll continue to drive on as you'd normally do...
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So the only way people will not speed on roads is if they see police on the side of the road ? I know, lets bring in a rule that everytime someone drives they have to have a garda in the car beside them. That way we'll never speed. Oh hang on a minute, how will we be able to pay them seeing as we cant set up our 'fish in a barrel' sting anymore? You're beyond redemption. If you dont speed then you dont worry about seeing police or not, plain and simple.
so why do the Gardai constantly set up speed checks here? Looks like Easy Money to me and lets be honest it does.
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Only because people are willing to break the law.
 
I think the main problem is that some roads have limits which are not appropriate to the condition of the road. For example, a number of roads that I will travel this evening on my way home have a speed limit of 80kmp and while one would not be breaking the law by driving at this speed, IMO they would be driving dangerously and that should be the issue as opposed to driving over the speed limit because clearly the LAs do not wish to review the limits set out on various roads.
 
I would far rather see the 50kph limit in towns and villages being targeted as i see driving in these areas far in excess of these limits all the time. Resources should be directed at those who do 60-75 in a 50kph zone rather than 130-135 in a 120kph zone.

The former is far more dangerous and presents a potential greater loss of life than the latter in case of an accident/loss of control etc.

The unlimited lane on the German Autobahns is, by km, the safest stretch of roads in Europe. Speed doesn't kill, inappropriate speed kills.
 
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