During the course of 2021, there were more than 175,000 drivers detected committing speeding offences across Ireland.
Each of these drivers was likely issued with sanctions including a max fixed charge fine of €80 together with 3 penalty points.
Generally speaking, if you get caught speeding by a garda traffic camera, you will get notice of your fine and penalty points by post.
Irish law states that you have 28 days to pay your fine from the date the notice is issued to you., and if you do not pay your fine, it then increases to €120 which you must pay within 28 days.
If after this time (56 days) you still have not paid your fine, the offence is referred to the courts.
If you are convicted in a court for speeding offences and non-payment of fines, you will automatically receive 5 penalty points and a fine up to a maximum of €1,000.
There are lots of different types of road cameras nationwide that have different uses, but only some have the power to fine you.
So here are some of the most common cameras found on Irish roads, and whether or not they are used to catch speeding drivers.
TruCAM II laser guns; FINE
Laser speed guns are used by gardaí and can clock speeding cars from a distance of up to 1.2km away.
The TruCAM II laser guns are able to detect the speed of vehicles even before the driver can see the garda, which makes them tricky to avoid if you’re breaking the speed limit.
A batch of 50 of the devices was purchased by the force in 2020 and all of them are already in use in some Garda divisions.
If there was a handheld laser gun (either mounted on a tripod or held in hand) and you’re speeding, you are flagged down so that the Garda can issue you a ticket, which is then posted to you a number of weeks later.
Puma speed detection equipment; FINE
These Puma speed detection vehicles don’t just detect how fast you’re going but they can also detect uninsured and untaxed drivers as well as other common road traffic offences like using a mobile phone while driving.
The equipment, which is linked up to real-time databases, provides information on insured, taxed and stolen vehicles, can scan up to six licence plates per second.
If you’re caught speeding with one of these, you’ll be issued a fine in the post by An Garda Siochana.
Average Speed Camera; FINE
Average speed cameras are permanent speed cameras installed at two points on a motorway that monitors the average speed of motorists by how long it takes them to get to the second camera.
They are currently in use in the Dublin Port Tunnel where the limit is 80km/h.
If a driver reaches the second point too soon, a record of the speed violation is auto-generated and sent to the Gardaí, where it’s treated the same way as a speed van image.
Ireland's first motorway average speed camera will go live on Monday, April 25.
The mainline Motorway Average Speed Safety Camera system will be located on the M7 in Tipperary between Junction 26 and Junction 27 and will become operational from 7:00 am.
The cameras will be in operation on both sides of the motorway, eastbound and westbound.
Vehicles detected driving in excess of the 120kmph posted motorway speed limit will be sanctioned by receiving fines via post.
Motorway CCTV cameras; NO FINE
Ireland’s motorways are constantly being monitored to ensure the safe and efficient management of the national network of roads and tunnels.
A dedicated agency operates several services, including:
- Advanced traffic management systems
- Electronic messages to motorists
- Emergency Roadside Telephone network
- Roadworks scheduling
- Incident management
However, it is also designed to accommodate the upgrade and transformation of the entire national roads network operation including:
- CCTV Cameras
- TII fibre communications network
These cameras do not detect speed and so drivers won’t be fined for whizzing past them - but you still shouldn't.
Gardai Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras; FINE
ANPR uses optical character recognition technology to automatically read vehicle registration plates and is used in patrol cars by many police forces worldwide.
The technology can read number plates at a rate of six per second on vehicles travelling up to 180km/h and they also include a speed detection capability.
All vehicles fitted with ANPR camera systems will be able to identify vehicles as being stolen, untaxed, suspect, cited as connected with terrorist suspects, crime groups, drug trafficking, people trafficking and/or persistent offending.
Therefore, if a vehicle is of interest to police, officers monitoring it can order a patrol car team to stop the driver and, if necessary, make an arrest.
They are found across the country and are also used to clamp down on motorists travelling at high speeds.
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