Crack down on driving offences
A BMW caught by Gardaí with no insurance for the fourth time this year.
Gardaí in Waterford have shown the benefits of the use of modern technology while out on patrol, in efforts to combat driving offences across the city and county, as one driver was caught with no insurance for the fourth time in a year and two others were caught racing dangerously through morning traffic while under the influence of drugs.
The new mobility device app gives Gardaí the ability to access driver information on the roadside, such as tax and insurance details.
Over the weekend, the app was used to detect a driver who had been caught driving for the fourth time this year with no insurance.
The mobility device app displayed two inactive insurance policies on the app, one with AXA and the other with Allianz. Gardaí have since seized the BMW car, which also had no valid tax.
Separately, Gardaí caught two drivers speeding at almost twice the speed limit in morning traffic as they raced along the N25 bypass. They were caught for dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, Garda Inspector Paul Donohue explained the drug testing kit is similar to antigen testing, and the mobility device is "incredibly advantageous" for Gardaí, putting them in a position to detect more quickly.
"Cocaine and cannabis seem to be very prevalent, especially among young drivers," he said, while adding, "It comes down to driver behaviour, especially young people not realising the danger of what they're doing, who then put other road users at risk."
Driving under the influence, speeding, and the use of mobile phones while driving are the main concerns of Inspector Donohue, who said Gardaí will continue to enforce traffic laws to reduce risks to other road users.
On Monday, May 19, Waterford Gardaí, while observing a "steady flow of Monday early morning traffic", encountered two cars racing each other.
The cars were spotted racing dangerously along the N25 bypass.
Gardaí snapped the drivers with the speed gun, catching a speed of 180 kilometres per hour, as both travelled through the 100 kilometres per hour zone.
When Gardaí pulled the "young" drivers over they were tested roadside for drugs. One returned a positive result for cocaine, and the other driver tested positive for cannabis.
Both drivers were arrested at the scene and have been charged to appear in court at a later date.
In efforts to reduce road deaths across the nation, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has instructed all Gardaí to commit to 30 minutes of roads policing per shift.
More than 80 people have died on Irish roads to date in 2024.
