A MOTORIST HAS been caught driving 139km/h in an 80km/h zone today. 

The driver was detected speeding during An Garda Síochána’s National Slow Down Day. 

Gardaí have been carrying out checkpoints on roads across the country since 7am in an effort to encourage drivers to comply with the speed limits.

The Christmas Road Safety Operation will continue until 7am on 4 January.

Gardaí said in the first 14 hours of the operation, GoSafe checked the speed of 169,361 vehicles.

Of those, 408 vehicles were found to be travelling over the applicable speed limit. 

One person was found driving far in excess of the speed limit on the N4 near Ballydowd in Lucan, Dublin, driving at a speed of 139km/h in a 80km/h zone.

Another driver in Dublin was found to be travelling 126 km/h in an 80km/h zone on the N4 near Doddsborough in Lucan. 

Meanwhile, a motorist in Kerry was travelling 82km/h in a 50km/h zone on the R561 near Castledrum, Castlemaine.

Another motorist was travelling 130km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N4 Greatdown at the Downs in Co Westmeath, while another was travelling 141km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M9 Coolmore, Knocktopher, Kilkenny.

Earlier today, gardaí also detected motorists travelling 125km/h in a 100km/h zone on the M50 in North Dublin, 145km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M8 in North Kilworth, Cork, and 149km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M6 An Carn Mór Thiar Órán Mór, Galway.

Gardaí are continuing to appeal to drivers to comply with speed limits “in order to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads”. 

Last month, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched a campaign calling on road users to reduce their speeds to 30km/h in urban areas and villages this Christmas.

In total, 181 people have died on Irish roads this year compared to 155 total deaths in all of 2022.