Big garda clampdown over weekend?!

Captain Slow IRL

So, the media were very eager to advertise garda presence on the roads over the bank holiday weekend - I saw one on saturday shouting at a boy racer to slow down; haven't been pulled over or seen any checkpoints since friday - were they out at all?!

EDIT - been in Castlebar, Sligo and Ballina since friday.

Wertz

I dodged two checkpoints yesterday afternoon in the Dundalk area.
Don't know exactly what they're going to achieve stopping cars at 2pm of a sunday on a main urban thoroughfare...especially when they place their checkpoints where they can be avoided, via turning off.

mik_da_man

Yep - seen loads of the cops touring around cork this weekend

Sully

Tramore was covered in them. Several check points in the most unusual and usual places at random stages. Spotted them overtaking several cars (with the blues on) to monitor a van for a few mins before pulling it over.

Waterford City - nothing. Some idiot drive nearly caused me to crash by ignoring the traffic lights and the 5 guards standing around just ignored the breaks being applied and my horn going full blast for a few seconds while the other car skidded around the bend and tore of a speed.

Wexford - nothing at all.

Sundy

Ive done over 1000km this weekend. The count is 1 check point and two speed traps. Not that much considering the distance i guess

Rowley Birkin QC

Saw a guy pulled in on the Cork side of Abbeyleix on Friday by one of those unmarked 3 Series, guard lookee delighted with himself!

E92

I was reliably informed recently by someone that the Guards have targets to meet in terms of how many speeders the catch on our roads. Tells you all you need to know. I drove over 300 miles yesterday and no I did not see any sign of a Garda at all.

Has anyone noticed that in the last few bank holiday weekends that we have had only 1 death at most compared to the usual 5 or 6, and that nobody in the RSA or the Guards has mentioned it?

Sandwich

Stopped and asked for my licence on Friday. Didnt even glance at tax or insurance discs.
Were they really checking licences or was it just to suss out possible inebriation?

AugustusMaximus

Pulled into a petrol station on sunday morning and there was an unmarked Mondeo squad car. Anyways, they pulled over to the side and kept watching me as I filled up.

The second I pulled out they started to tail me for about 4 or 5 miles. After that they overtook me doing about 80kph in a 50kph and left me be.

E92. This government, the RSA, the Irish media like to scaremonger regarding road death statistics and such. We never hear the end of road deaths when they happen, ye never hear about the FACTS or falling road death totals overall.

I'm guessing we are prob doing better than last year, eventhough there are again more cars on the road this year ?


Sandwich: The usual routine is to tell you to the pull over and to "have a chat". Where are you going ? Where have you come from ? What are you up to ? Reason for journey ? etc etc.

Profiler

I suspect that as people start to head home after being away then we might see a few more speed checks.

mr_angry

I've been stopped 3 or 4 times in the past couple of weeks now between Dubin and Dundalk. Not that I mind... its nice to see the Gardai taking an interest in road safety from time to time.

rebel.ranter

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Sandwich: The usual routine is to tell you to the pull over and to "have a chat". Where are you going ? Where have you come from ? What are you up to ? Reason for journey ? etc etc.

I believe that they are legally only allowed to ask you name & address, you do not have to answer where you're going to/from. Mind you if yu were anyway cocky I'd imagine they would make you jump through all the other hoops.

Another interesting one is that they are allowed to hold your insurance cert without permission but you do not have to give them your license, you only have to "show" them your license. A riend of mine has recently "passed out" of Templemore informed me of these obscure facts.

daithismith

I saw the white van with the speed camara in the back on the M1 northbound just after the M50 exit on Thursday and Friday morning. Hadn't seen it there in a while.

Captain Slow IRL

E92 wrote: »

Has anyone noticed that in the last few bank holiday weekends that we have had only 1 death at most compared to the usual 5 or 6, and that nobody in the RSA or the Guards has mentioned it?

The may bank holiday last year resulted in something like 13 deaths - that's why the emphasis was on it this year.

the_syco

Wertz wrote: »

I dodged two checkpoints yesterday afternoon in the Dundalk area.
Don't know exactly what they're going to achieve stopping cars at 2pm of a sunday on a main urban thoroughfare...especially when they place their checkpoints where they can be avoided, via turning off.

Sounds to me like they have f**k all people to do the job, so they're trying to do a "high visablity" job, eveyone see's them, they say they've done their job, and if they get less crashes this year compared to last, they claim it as a sucess to the media.

JamesM

6pm yesterday- camera (or radar) at the very important, life saving position, behind the bus shelter at Spawell.

AugustusMaximus

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds to me like they have f**k all people to do the job, so they're trying to do a "high visablity" job, eveyone see's them, they say they've done their job, and if they get less crashes this year compared to last, they claim it as a sucess to the media.

When road deaths go down, the Gov, the RSA and the Gardai like to congratulate themselves.

What road deaths go up, the ordinary road users are ALWAYS to blame.

Irishpimpdude

Garda all over my parts dublin 11

Cionád

Over the weekend seen two speed checks in Leixlip, and (i think) a gatso in Maynooth. - Not sure if it was a gatso but it was parked up on the path, under a bridge and didn't seem to have any other reason for being there.

skyhighflyer

Noticed radar checks on both N7 inbound and outbound between Kill/Rathcoole. Would wonder about the necessity on a six-lane road in perfect weather

corcaigh07

if something like 9/11 happened again, i wouldnt be surprised if RTE would run the usual Gardai out in force rubbish first! its brutal scare monagering, my parents went from west cork to castlebar and back during the last bank holiday, not one checkpoint or speed check.

skibum

Checkpoint near the Graduate pub, fiat punto being loaded on to a recovery truck and it was looking like the driver of an old merc was going to get the same treatment.

Sandwich

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds to me like they have f**k all people to do the job, so they're trying to do a "high visablity" job, eveyone see's them, they say they've done their job, and if they get less crashes this year compared to last, they claim it as a sucess to the media.

Which it would be.

*Tripper*

I have seen alot of fuzz around this weekend, one speed check. Baxtards.

corcaigh07

the fact that a garda has to catch a certain quota is defeating the purpose in the first place.

"When road deaths go down, the Gov, the RSA and the Gardai like to congratulate themselves.
What road deaths go up, the ordinary road users are ALWAYS to blame."

yep, its a disgrace, other law authorites would look at themselves and said "how can we do better" here its pass the blame or take the credit and no inbetween. also, i hate the way the fact weather conditions over a year are never factored in a report about less/more road deaths. in ireland, we can get year-spikes in bad weather but it never shows in a RSA report.

bitemybanger

Drove from Navan to the National stud farm in Kildare today, not one checkpoint or speed camera/gatso van along the way

E92

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

E92. This government, the RSA, the Irish media like to scaremonger regarding road death statistics and such. We never hear the end of road deaths when they happen, ye never hear about the FACTS or falling road death totals overall.

I'm guessing we are prob doing better than last year, eventhough there are again more cars on the road this year ?

I know all of that, but I'm glad I haven't deluded myself into thinking that I'm the only person that knows the way they carry on:D!

Of course I did my bit to try and change all this nonsense last May but the plain people of Ireland(well over 980,000 of them) decided to put these incompetent people back in for 3 times in a row who wouldn't know what the words principle, backbone or original policies were if a 40 foot pole hit them with it for half an hour so we only have ourselves to blame, we bitch and moan about our useless Government(which they are and always have been since 1997) and then put them back in at every possible opportunity in a General Election:rolleyes::(!

cianclarke

400km this weekend and nothing.
Saw one this evening on Leinster Road, but it was gone when I passed back again 10 mins later!!

D_murph

i did a fair bit of driving on all 3 days of this weekend and i saw nothing here either .

having said that there has been a lot of speedtraps here in the last month or so. most of them on that "death trap" of a Ballincollig bypass :rolleyes: but nothing on the "safe" back roads as usual.

DavidKay

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds to me like they have f**k all people to do the job, so they're trying to do a "high visablity" job, eveyone see's them, they say they've done their job, and if they get less crashes this year compared to last, they claim it as a sucess to the media.

And just how can less crashes than last year not be a success!!!! however achieved.

tech

did about 500kms over the weekend and NO check point/ speed trap sighted ............