Locations of new static speed cameras at nine accident black spots revealed
The new speed cameras will cost approximately €2.4m over the next 18 months and are hoped to be in operation by the end of 2024. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Nine new static speed cameras are to be installed at road accident black spots as part of the Government’s attempts to reverse the increase in fatalities so far this year.
Up to Wednesday morning, 69 people had been killed on Irish roads in 2024 — up by 16 on the same period last year. Last year was the worst for road deaths in more than a decade as 184 people lost their lives.
Among the nine new speed camera locations is the N22 in Cork. The camera will be installed east of Lissarda and west of Ovens on the stretch of road where there have been multiple collisions.
In October 2023, a woman in her 80s died after a crash involving two cars and an articulated lorry at Crookstown. Last week, a motorist was clocked going 192km/h on a stretch of the N22 where the limit is 100km/h.
Gardaí say that all locations were selected based on fatal and serious injury collision data from the last seven years and speed data, as well as feedback from stakeholders.
They will cost approximately €2.4m over the next 18 months and are hoped to be in operation by the end of 2024. The new cameras will join the average speed cameras on the N3 (Butler’s Bridge), N5 (Swinford), and N2 (Slane), which are expected to be operational in Q4 2024.
There are also 55 safety cameras currently operated via GoSafe vans; this will increase to 58 in the coming weeks, gardaí say.
Assistant commissioner Paula Hilman said: "Static speed safety cameras have been proven in other countries to be highly effective in changing driver behaviour and reducing speed, which is a key contributor to road deaths.
“Speed cameras slow drivers down. The lower speeds people drive at, the lower the number of road deaths.”
Garda commissioner Drew Harris confirmed plans last month to introduce an initiative where every frontline garda will carry out at least 30 minutes of road policing activity per shift.
This is similar to the system used in Sweden and was a key part of the Scandinavian country halving the number of road fatalities since the introduction of Vision Zero — which aims for no road deaths or serious injuries.
The Government have Vision Zero as part of their road safety strategy for 2021-2030 — with an initial goal of halving the number of road deaths by 2030.
The cameras will be located on:
- The N59, between Moycullen and Galway City
- The N25 in Waterford between Glenmore and Luffany
- The R772, Arklow Road, Aske, north of Gorey, Co Wicklow
- The N14, east of Letterkenny, Co Donegal
- The N80 in Carlow between Barristown and Levitstown
- The Crumlin Road/Parnell Road/Dolphin Road/Dolphin’s Barn Junction in Dublin
- The N17, northeast of Claremorris, Co Mayo
- The N22, east of Lissarda, west of Ovens
- The N69, east of Askeaton in Limerick
Last month, Road Safety Minister Jack Chambers said that if trends continued, there would be “well over 200” deaths in 2024, something he said was “extremely concerning.”
He said: “We’ve seen a 25% increase in road fatalities on the back of a terrible year last year.
"At the moment, based on current trends, we are heading for upwards of over 40 more people killed on our roads in 2024 — which would be over well over 200 people. That would reverse 10 years of significant progress.”
