Garda Checks over Bank Holiday Weekend

Sully

So as per usual the Guarda promise a big presence on our roads during the bank holiday weekend to target drivers over the limit or with fatigue. The last bank holiday I saw hardly any presence but I did spot an increase this time around but found how they were doing it pretty unusual. Now im all for check points and think that they never do enough but in this case it just seemed very unusual.

There were three check points, each only a short distance from each other doing different things. One was just before Tesco and was checking Tax & Insurance. The next one was after Tesco and were checking random cars by pulling them over an doing an inspection. The third one was after Tesco and was doing a random breath check.

Seemed like a waste of resources when they should have one entering Waterford from Tramore, one on the bridge and maybe one along the Quays.. just more spread out rather then confined to one area. At least, thats just one idea of how to approach.

That was on Friday. I didnt see any after that. Did anyone else spot any checkpoints over this bank holiday weekend? I remember a thread on the Motor forum during the last bank holiday and a large amount of people didnt see any presence or very little around the country!

Roen

I covered about two hundred miles around Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipp and didn't see one CP, or for that matter one cop car at all!

alpha2zulu

CP outbound at Sallypark on Sunday night. Seemed totally rediculous . They had all traffic stopped ahead of me for several minutes until it began to reach back to the railway bridge, at which point they started waving everybody through without even glancing at tax discs etc...complete waste of resources.
Even as the traffic was stopping, some cars were doing U-turns at the CIE depot traffic lights, seemingly in full view of the CP.

As an aside, from looking at the Wexford board, seems that a blue hi-cube Transit GATSO van is doing the rounds in that county. I wonder if Waterford could be the next stop???

Sully

Yup the u-turns can be pretty obvious and the guards dont care. I asked one guard about it before and he just shurrged and said it happens.

alpha2zulu

asked one guard about it before and he just shurrged and said it happens.

it just goes to show that the entire operation is a bit of a joke...no insurance, just do a u-turn! You must really have to be fair thick to get done for it in this country so.
:rolleyes:

The aim seems to be all about meeting targets rather than saving lives

daftdave

saturday evening there was a checkpoint just after grange heights as you go up the hill, although i drove to dublin friday and back saturday and i did not come across one.

anniehoo

They were too busy "check pointing" the, boardsie term- Wimmins Mini Marathon today loadsa drink-walkin goin on!

Sully

daftdave wrote: »

saturday evening there was a checkpoint just after grange heights as you go up the hill, although i drove to dublin friday and back saturday and i did not come across one.

Why would they have a checkpoint by an estate?

junkster12345

randomness is how they catch people i suppose and there is a bus stop on the left as you pass grange heights, perfect if they are gonna pull someone in

Sully

Just seems an unusual and quiet place.. I would have though targeting entrance points to and from the city would have caught a fair few!

TheFlatulator

I was travelling to cork and kilkenny at the weekend and not one, i saw speeding dangerous driving et al. but not check points

ChapOfDRyans

Believe me they do care if you do a U-turn close to a checkpoint

kensutz

Checkpoint in Lismore on Saturday morning just before you come to the bridge before the castle. Squad car and 2 lads with red vests and sub machine guns.

Sully

kensutz wrote: »

Checkpoint in Lismore on Saturday morning just before you come to the bridge before the castle. Squad car and 2 lads with red vests and sub machine guns.

Very rare to come across them.. oddly in Lismore to.

Speaking of which, I was driving through Wexford last week and Custom Officers & Guards were stopping traffic. Thats something I dont think iv ever came across before.

Sully

ChapOfDRyans wrote: »

Believe me they do care if you do a U-turn close to a checkpoint

Maybe if your like the second or third.. but iv seen plenty of cars do U-Turns or take sudden turn offs into estates to avoid them and the guards didnt react. I think years ago they used to have an armed detective just beyond the check point to catch those driving through without stopping. I rarley see any detective before or after a check point now.

kensutz

Sully wrote: »

Very rare to come across them.. oddly in Lismore to.

Speaking of which, I was driving through Wexford last week and Custom Officers & Guards were stopping traffic. Thats something I dont think iv ever came across before.

Oddly enough the lads in the red vests were making it well known that they had the guns on them.

Sully

kensutz wrote: »

Oddly enough the lads in the red vests were making it well known that they had the guns on them.

This was explained before I think on the Emergency Services Forum.. Just cant recall what it was all about

longshanks

the boys in blue are on the six cross roads exit of the outer ring road with the speed gun now. just passed them.

Sully

longshanks wrote: »

the boys in blue are on the six cross roads exit of the outer ring road with the speed gun now. just passed them.

Havent seen them there in a long time and its one spot they could make a fortune out of!

kensutz

Yeah it's a potential goldmine for them to hand out fines there.

alpha2zulu

the boys in blue are on the six cross roads exit of the outer ring road with the speed gun now. just passed them

Well thats good to know because modern dual carraigeways like the ORR are of course some of the most dangerous roads in the country with a high number of fatalities unlike the nearby Tramore Road, N9 or the N25:rolleyes:

Sully

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Well thats good to know because modern dual carraigeways like the ORR are of course some of the most dangerous roads in the country with a high number of fatalities unlike the nearby Tramore Road, N9 or the N25:rolleyes:

With the way cars speed on those roads and breaking suddenly / skipping lanes - it probably is advisable to have them keeping an eye on things!

Cabaal

They were on the road to Fiddon Bridge last week, considering most people do 20km/hr over the limit on that road its a goldmine.

alpha2zulu

With the way cars speed on those roads and breaking suddenly / skipping lanes

However thats partly the fault of the relatively recent lane changes on the approaches to the roundabouts on the ORR. It is all the traffic heading straight through and then having to merge back into the 1 lane that is causing most of the problems out there

Cabaal

and the people speeding

alpha2zulu

if the limit was a more reasonable 80km/ph ,a greater percentage of the traffic would be doing the same speed, thus reduceing the temptation to blast off when faced with a law abiding motorist at 60km/ph as happens now:)

Just playing a bit of devils advocate!

ChapOfDRyans

Sully wrote: »

Maybe if your like the second or third.. but iv seen plenty of cars do U-Turns or take sudden turn offs into estates to avoid them and the guards didnt react. I think years ago they used to have an armed detective just beyond the check point to catch those driving through without stopping. I rarley see any detective before or after a check point now.

There was 1 at welshs in ferrybank,i turned into the estate beside the new shopping centre and they just left the checkpoint and came after me.They told me they go after people as there is a reason they turn around,could have drugs or guns lol.I spent nearly an hour while two gardi checked my car and went through every part of it.

Sully

Did you get away with whatever you were avoiding them for? :P

Cabaal

Sully wrote: »

Did you get away with whatever you were avoiding them for? :P

lol, we'll see him on Gardai! (the Irish version of cops!) :pac::pac::pac:

spartacus93

Have only seen the lads in the red vests out twice...

They're worn by highly armed detectives, usually carrying uzis or the newer HK mp7

A rare aul sight

Sully

Dont think id be doing a U Turn with them around anyway