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A restricted driver was detected travelling at 62mph on a 30mph stretch of the Tandragee Road in Poyntzpass during a five-day PSNI road safety operation. The detection was among 2,132 speeding offences and a further 308 traffic offences recorded during Operation Lifesaver, which ran from 27 to 31 July.
The majority of detections were made through the deployment of Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership safety camera vans. Other notable speeding detections included a driver caught at 81mph on the 40mph Knockbreda carriageway in Belfast, a driver recorded at 90mph on the A2 Garron Road in Glenariff, where the limit is 30mph, and a driver detected at 105mph on the 60mph Belfast Road at Nutts Corner.
Alongside the speeding offences, police also detected 59 instances of careless driving, 45 of no insurance and 57 construction and use offences. A further 18 drink or drug driving detections were made, along with 18 for not wearing a seatbelt and 15 for using a mobile phone while driving.
Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson, Head of the PSNI's Road Policing Unit, said: "Despite repeated police appeals for motorists to slow down, there are still drivers speeding. There are still drivers who are not heeding our fatal five messaging, drivers who think it's okay to drink-drive, to not wear a seatbelt, to drive an uninsured car or use your phone while driving."
"Anyone who speeds, who commits any of these offences, is putting their life and the lives of others at risk. It's unacceptable, and there has to be a societal attitude change towards speeding and road safety in general. The attitude 'it's not really a crime', or 'the worst won't happen to me' has to change and people have to take personal responsibility for their actions. Drivers must think what they need to do keep themselves and every other road user safe."
Chief Inspector Simpson said 44 lives had been lost on Northern Ireland's roads since the start of the year, with many more people left injured as a result of road traffic collisions. "Take a moment to think about this," she said. "These are more than statistics. Each death is a catastrophic loss, with too many people whose lives have been changed in an instant. Actions behind the wheel don't just affect the driver, they affect other road users too."
She urged drivers to remember the Fatal Five, namely slowing down, staying off the phone, never drink or drug driving, avoiding distraction and always wearing a seatbelt. "Making sure you do all you can as a driver and road user to ensure your journey is safe should be a priority at all times because the road is something we all share. A little more patience, respect and awareness could save a life."
The figures are provisional, having been provided as of 3 August, and are subject to change. No district breakdown is available at this time.
