Mayo motorist clocked at 109 km per hour in 80 zone on National Slow Down Day

A MOTORIST was clocked driving at 109 km per hour in a 80km zone outside Ballina during the opening hours of National Slow Down Day.

In the first two hours of ‘National Slow Down Day’, a GoSafe van detected a vehicle travelling at 109 km per hour in a 80km zone on the R314 at Rathroeen, Ballina.

National Slow Down Day is aimed at reminding drivers of the dangers of speeding and a garda operation also aims to increase compliance with speed limits and is in effect from 7am this morning until 7am tomorrow.

In the first five hours of ‘National Slow Down Day’, GoSafe checked the speeds of 41,630 vehicles, and detected 81 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.

In Galway a vehicle was detected travelling at 75 km per hour in a 50km zone on the N84 at Castlequarter, Cloonboo.

The detections come as gardaí are calling on motorists to support today's 24-hour nationwide operation targeting speed to make Irish roads safer for all users.

Just four months into 2024, already 63 people have been killed on roads in Ireland with eight of those deaths recorded in Mayo. The number of deaths on roads in Mayo has led to a call for motorists to take responsibility for their own behaviour. Last week, the AXA Roadsafe Roadshow returned to Castlebar where TY students from around Mayo heard harrowing tales from emergency service personnel of the reality of road traffic collisions.

Today's initiative, which is supported by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), is to promote safer driving behaviour among motorists and to encourage all of society to help prevent road traffic collisions.