Gardaí are introducing speed cameras to 50 new locations in Galway as part of a nationwide reorganisation in the system.
The nation’s network of speed cameras have been extensively reorganised after a three year review of where the most dangerous roads are.
As of today 903 new cameras have been introduced at new zones, while the review resulted in 572 camera zones being removed.
The number of speed camera zones currently operating on Irish roads now stands at 1,322 as of Monday morning, when the change was brought in.
Including the 50 new locations, there are now 76 locations in Galway where gardaí may operate speed cameras.
All of these locations can be viewed in an online map provided by gardaí, and their locations is also available to GPS providers.
“We are working closely with a range of partner agencies, including Government Departments, the Road Safety Authority, the National Roads Authority, and the community, in order to develop a national culture of safe road use,” gardaí said.
An analysis of collisions where speed was a factor was carried out with data from 2016 to 2018 to determine where the most dangerous roads are.
It found that the 20 most dangerous stretches of road, the one with the largest number of collisions, are all in Dublin.
The new speed cameras are being brought in at locations where there have been fatal, serious, or minor collisions where speed was a factor.
Gardaí say that this move is aimed at getting people to reduce speed, and cut the number of collisions on our roads, rather than catching people out to issue tickets.
The number of deaths on Irish roads has declined from 415 in 2000, to just 148 last year.
The most dangerous stretches of road in Galway depend on the type of incident counted.
The Headford road just past Galway Shopping Centre had by far the largest number of collisions in the three year period, with 29 incidents.
However 27 of these were classified as minor collisions, with two serious incidents, and no deaths.
The most dangerous area was the Upper Newcastle Road in Galway City just past the quincentenary bridge, where there were 13 collisions from 2016-18, including two fatal incidents.
Also a risky spot is the N65 between Killimor and the R446 junction, which has seen two deaths out of seven total collisions.
