by Louise Doyle
A NUMBER of Donegal motorists were clocked driving in excess of the speed limit this week.
The incidents have led to gardaí renewing calls to drivers to watch their speed on the roads amid an alarming increase in road deaths this year.
Their warning comes as hundreds of pupils in Donegal have also returned to school in recent days.
More than 860 drivers nationally will be fined and slapped with penalty points after they were caught speeding during the latest Garda National Slow Down Day.
The proactive 24-hour operation, that began on Monday morning, was rolled out amid a significant and worrying rise in road deaths in Ireland.
In Donegal, notable speed detections included a motorist travelling at 83km/h in a 60km/h zone in Burnfoot, another was clocked doing 119km/h in a 100km/h zone in Newtowncunningham.
Elsewhere in Magheracar, Bundoran, a driver was caught speeding at 99km/h in a 60km/h zone. A motorist was also detected driving 17km over the speed limit, at 77km/h in a 60km/h zone in Portnason, Ballyshannon.
Three drivers were caught speeding in an 80km/h zone in Glentogher, one travelling at 110km/h, 111km/h and 114km/h.
Gardaí say speed reduction enforcement has taken on a new sense of urgency due to what they have said is an “alarming” increase in road deaths this year.
There have been 127 deaths on Irish roads this year to date, a rise of 24 more than the same period in 2022 and 36 more than in 2019.
One in five of all deaths to date in 2023 on Irish roads were younger persons aged between six and 20.
An Garda Síochána are calling on motorists to exercise vigilance and patience on the roads amid increased traffic this week with the return of school.
“An Garda Síochána want to take the opportunity to raise awareness that this increase in traffic is not just an increase in vehicles.
“There is an increase in our younger people, schoolchildren, hopefully walking and cycling to schools.
“School traffic wardens and junior traffic wardens are back on our roads keeping children and parents safe as they cross roads on their journeys to and from school.
“School buses have returned to our roads and will be stopping at different locations along their route to pick up and set down children, An Garda Síochána appeal to all drivers to be patient, be careful if overtaking a stopped school bus, there may likely be children trying to cross the road.”
An Garda Síochána also appeals to all parents who are driving to drop and collect their children at school to park legally in the vicinity of schools.
“Do not drop children from a car while sitting queuing in traffic.”
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