'We need you to help us' - Gardaí in desperate appeal to people amid major operation

Gardaí are conducting a 24-hour speed enforcement operation around the country for National Slow Down Day on Friday, December 20.

"Thousands of you will begin making your journey home from tomorrow and while Gardaí will be out working to keep road users safe, we need your help. We need you to slow down and drive safely," Chief Superintendent in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, Jane Humphries has said in a statement.

So far today, on December 20, in the first five hours of the operation "GoSafe checked the speeds of 35,802 vehicles and detected 75 vehicles travelling over the speed limit.

Gardaí have said that "additional traffic can be expected on the roads from tomorrow and so too is an increase in vulnerable road users, pedestrians and cyclists with more people out and about shopping, running errands and catching up with friends and family."

In advance of tomorrow’s National Slow Down Day Gardaí are asking people to have a conversation with those around you about speed, driving safely and helping to make sure everyone using Irish roads arrives home this Christmas.

"Speeding while driving is one of the most dangerous driving practices there are because the faster the speed the more severe the impact and the much deadlier the consequences," Gardaí warn.

"One in ten pedestrians hit by car travelling at 30km/h will die of their injuries. Five in ten of those out walking and struck by a car travelling 50km/h will be killed, and a car being driven at 60km/h and hits a pedestrian as a nine in ten chance of the collision being fatal," according to statistics.

Today is our final National Slow Down Day of 2024

We are asking drivers to slow down when driving. Let's make sure we all get home safely for Christmas #SaferRoads pic.twitter.com/CwnoQRBUGh

— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) December 20, 2024

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475 people have received issues for speeding every day this year with more than 150,000 Fixed Charge Notices, Gardaí have said.

"While Gardaí work tirelessly 365 days of the year to help people safe on Ireland’s road network, they alone cannot prevent all fatal road traffic collisions – An Garda Síochána needs everyone’s help and support," according to a press release by An Garda Síochána.

Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority said, "It is clear speeding continues to play a significant role in fatal collisions on Irish roads. Self-report speeding behaviours and acceptability of speeding have been consistently high since 2020 and have yet to return to pre-COVID levels."