GARDAÍ ARRESTED NEARLY 1,000 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the last five weeks.

Between 29 November and 6 January, gardaí conducted a dedicated road traffic enforcement operation for the Christmas period that involved 9,973 checkpoints.

It made hundreds of arrests and vehicle seizures and identified thousands of speed limit breaches. 

During the same period, there were 17 fatalities on Irish roads and 85 serious collisions that resulted in serious and life-threatening injuries.

939 people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant and 2,636 vehicles were seized for various offences.

Around 1,311 Fixed Charge Notices were issued for the offence of using a mobile phone while driving, according to gardaí.

Additionally, 13,573 drivers were detected for speeding offences by gardaí and Mobile Safety Camera Vans by its partner GoSafe.

Some notable speed limit breaches were:

• 121km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the N52 in Ardcroney, Co Tipperary
• 144km/hr in a 60km/hr zone on the N11 in Wexford, Co Wexford
• 184km/hr in an 80km/hr zone on the R731 in Rathnure, Co Wexford
• 150km/hr in an 80km/hr zone on the R445 in Castleconnell, Co Limerick
• 213km/hr in a 100km/hr zone on the N7 in Brownsbarn, Dublin 22
• 202km/hr in a 100km/hr zone on the N55 in Kilcogy, Co Cavan
• 203km/hr in a 120km/hr zone on the M1 in Lusk, Co Dublin
• 186km/hr in a 120km/hr zone on the M1 in Donabate, Co Dublin

In total, 174 people died in road traffic collisions on Irish roads in 2024. Two more have died already in 2025.

“These speeds are life-threatening, not just to the drivers and passengers of these vehicles, but to other road users, particularly in our lower speed zones,” Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters on the R445 between Limerick City and Bunratty, Co Clare.

“It is disrespectful and dangerous for drivers to be carrying out speeds of those levels on our roads, despite all the warnings and public safety messaging that is taking place.”

Geraghty said it was a “concern” that “drug-related” driving had increased “and accounts for about one-in-three/one third of those (939) arrests”.

He also warned motorists to “slow down” and not make unnecessary journeys as temperatures were forecasted to drop to -8 degrees Celsius overnight.

“A reduction of 5km/hr in our average speeds will reduce fatal road traffic collision by 30%, we can make a change in our behaviour on our roads,” explained Geraghty.

“We’ve seen extremely adverse road conditions right across the southwest of the country, particularly in Kerry, Cork, west Limerick, west, and south Tipperary into Kilkenny, it’s very obvious in these areas that there is poor and adverse road conditions.

“Don’t be complacent on the roads tonight and into Thursday – even though you may not see snow on the ground, the extreme cold weather is going to make driving conditions extremely hazardous right across the country, with severe risk for black ice, and freezing fog.”

With reporting from David Raleigh