ALERT: Gardaí on the lookout for six things at Donegal Rally as drivers warned

Drivers from around Ireland attending this weekend's Donegal Rally have been hit with a stark warning from gardaí who say they will be out in force checking for six major offences.

The annual Donegal International Rally takes place this weekend, Friday June 20 to Sunday, June 22, with thousands expected to attend with good weather forecast.

An Garda Síochána are urging people to ‘Keep the Race in Its Place’ and drive responsibly and carefully over the weekend.

They advise people to plan your journey and arrive in plenty of time as there will be road closures over the weekend and high volumes of traffic are anticipated. This may also affect public transport; follow advice and guidance from Gardaí and race marshals; remember to belt up, put the mobile phone away and never ever drink or take drugs and drive; watch the rally from the designated safe viewing areas. 

An Garda Síochána said in a statement that they will have a "highly visible presence across the county over the weekend", with checkpoints and speed cameras. They will be focusing on speed enforcement, patrols targeting dangerous driving, drink and drug driving, mobile phone and seat belt offences.

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They say: "Reckless and irresponsible driving on public roads will not be tolerated. Our focus is on keeping people safe."

An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland jointly launched their Cross-Border Traffic Management Plan for the event this week.

Additional resources will be in place to ensure the safety of people attending the rally and visiting Donegal over the weekend.

This includes increased checkpoints, high-visibility patrols and additional marked and unmarked vehicles, Garda motorcyclists, the Garda Air Support Unit

Speaking at the launch, Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan of the Donegal Garda Division said: "An Garda Síochána will be working in partnership with our colleagues in the PSNI where we will be out in force this weekend promoting road safety on both sides of the border. The Donegal International Rally is a major event which attracts thousands of visitors to our county. We are calling on all road users and rally fans to enjoy the event responsibly and to prioritise road safety above all else."

PSNI Chief Inspector for Derry City & Strabane, Cherith Craig, said: "We know the roads will be busier than usual this weekend due to the Donegal International Rally, which is a huge motorsports event and attracts massive numbers of spectators. With the expected increase in cross-border traffic from people travelling to and from the event, we’ll be working in partnership with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána, focusing on road safety.

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"You’ll see our officers on patrol conducting checks to ensure everyone on the road is legal, that their vehicles are roadworthy and that everyone is playing their part in keeping our roads safe.

"We all share the responsibility of road safety and to work together to reduce the number of people injured or killed on our roads. Our plea is to slow down, stay safe and have an enjoyable weekend. Remember the fatal five - don’t drink or drug-drive, slow down, don’t get careless, wear your seat belt and stay off your phone.”