Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
1185. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the final figures and report on Garda Operation Slowdown will be available; if in the final review there will be a figure for the number of vehicles monitored as well as speeding offences detected; if he will clarify if the Garda traffic corps or GoSafe conducted Operation SlowDown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37662/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1186. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will clarify if Operation SlowDown was an additional surveillance operation, augmenting the existing GoSafe safety camera programme; if the speed surveillance for OSD was conducted by the traffic corps, GoSafe, or both; if the overall level of speed surveillance during the 24 hours of OSD was higher than usual; if OSD speed surveillance was greater than normal levels; the nature and extent of the increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37663/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1185 and 1186 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Slowdown was put in place nationally by An Garda Síochána with other relevant stakeholders, including the Road Safety Authority, for a 24 hour period commencing at 7am on Friday, 6 July. The aims of the initiative were to raise general awareness of speeding and to encourage drivers to reduce speed at all times, not just for the 24 hour period of Operation Slowdown. Public and private sector fleet operators were also asked to participate in the initiative by circulating employees with the key message to slow down and, whether driving for business or private purposes, to always drive within the speed and at a speed appropriate to the prevailing conditions.
The operation consisted of high visibility speed enforcement activities on both national primary and secondary roads. These were carried out by local Gardaí, the Garda Traffic Corps, and also by the outsourced service provider GoSafe. I am further informed that the following table shows the total number of fixed charged notices issued during the period of Operation Slowdown.
Fixed Charge Notices issued for Speeding
|
Date |
Non-intercept |
Intercept |
Total |
|
Friday 6 July |
633 |
296 |
929 |
|
Saturday 7 July |
606 |
267 |
873 |
I am advised, for comparison purposes, that the average number of fixed charge notices issued daily for the month of July 2012 was 439 non-intercept notices and 132 intercept notices (571 in total), which reflects the impact of Operation Slowdown on the number of detections. I am further advised that It is not possible to quantify the use of all available resources (equipment, vehicles, and personnel) or the number of vehicles monitored for the duration of Operation Slowdown, without the disproportionate use of resources.
