A new year campaign to tackle drink and drug driving and everything from untaxed and uninsured vehicles to drivers on bald tyres or carrying dangerous loads has already seen success on the main Cork-Kerry route.
Gardai and officials from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Health & Safety Authority (HSA) were working together on a checkpoint on the N22 Cork Kerry road yesterday. And any road-users who are thinking of taking risks over the coming days should know that there are expected to be more.
Gardai and the HSA and RSA officials are using instant-access databases – including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) apps – to check on the status of drivers and vehicles, on licences, bans, tax and insurance. And the HSA & RSA staff are focusing in on dangerous and defective vehicles, with concerns that rising operating costs may be pushing more commercial haulage and other businesses to cut corners on anything from tyres to essential maintenance.
Yesterday, the checkpoint on the N22 operated by Kerry Gardai saw their Roads Policing Team and their colleagues from the two agencies detect ‘multiple offences.’
These included:
- 2 Arrests – Suspected Drug Driving (Cannabis & Cocaine)
- 2 Vehicles Detained – No Insurance
These were the arrests, there were also notices and warnings handed out on defective vehicles while drivers who have failed to keep up on their road tax could expect on the spot fines.
There are expected to be more multi-agency checkpoints over the coming days as Gardai in Munster look to start the year with tougher enforcement on our roads.