An Garda Síochána will conduct a 24hr national speed enforcement operation, National #SlowDown Day supported by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and other stakeholders on Wednesday, 26th February, 2025.
An Garda Síochána conducts a number of high profile National #SlowDown Days every year. The aim of National #SlowDown Days is to remind motorists of the dangers of speeding, encourage a national conversation on the impact of speeding, to increase overall compliance with speed limits in place nationwide and to deter and detect those that are intent on driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.
To date in 2025 there have unfortunately been 24 fatalities on Irish roads in 23 Fatal Road Traffic Collison’s. This is a reduction of 12 deaths on the same period in 2024.
During 2024, An Garda Síochána, with the support of our Roads Safety Partners GoSafe, issued over 145,000+ Fixed Charge Notices to drivers driving in excess of the speed limit, nearly 400 detections every day (Garda and GoSafe detections)
Driving in excess of the legal speed limit, and/ or driving at an inappropriate speed for the prevailing road, weather and traffic conditions not only puts you at risk but also endangers the lives of others around you. When you speed, it reduces the potential reaction time to react to something unexpected on the road and there is an increase in the likelihood of losing control of your vehicle, which could lead to a serious or fatal accident.
The consequences of speeding can be devastating, not only for yourself but for other innocent people on the road. The higher the speed the greater the impact if you have a Road Traffic Collision.
National #SlowDown Day encourages a conversation on speed and road safety. Conversations on road safety should not only take place in the aftermath of fatal road traffic collisions, this is too late; These conversations should take place every day.
Speeding while driving is one of the most dangerous driving practices there are.
The faster the speed > the more severe the impact > the deadlier the consequences.
Inappropriate Speed (for prevailing weather/traffic/ road conditions) is a problem as much as exceeding the speed limit.
Pedestrians hit by car:
At 30 km/h – 1 in 10 will die
At 50 km/h – 5 in 10 will die
At 60 km/h – 9 in 10 will die
An Garda Síochána remains committed to improving road safety on our roads, but An Garda Síochána alone will not stop all Fatal Road Traffic Collision.
An Garda Síochána continues to actively work with relevant partners as per the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 ‘a strategic, coordinated and multi-sectoral approach to road safety across government and key stakeholders will be critical to achieving a safer, better Ireland for all’.
This involves approximately 180 measures for delivery by all partners to the Strategy across areas such as education, technology, information sharing, legislation, roads infrastructure and enforcement.
