Slow Down Day: Gardai out in force on Kilkenny roads today

Kilkenny drivers can expect to see a greater Garda presence on our roads over the coming weeks.

It comes as worrying new figures reveal there has been a rise in road fatalities dsespite a significant drop in the number of road journeys in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

Figures released by An Garda Siochána reveal there has been 137 road deaths on Irish roads up to December 10 – an increase of nine recorded for the same period last year.

Gardai released the figures ahead of the launch of their Christmas Road campaign today. Motorists can expect to see an increased presence on Kilkenny roads over the coming days.

As part of the campaign, the gardai are launching a national ‘Slow Down Day’ from 7am this morning until 7am on tomorrow.

The aim of ‘Slow Down Day’ is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, increase compliance with speed limits and to act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.

It is hoped the visible enforcement will encourage drivers to slow down. From January 1 to October 31, 2020, gardai caught 151,055 motorist speeding, a 26% increase on same period in 2019.

A Garda spokesperson said: “The operation will consist of high visibility speed enforcement across the 1,300 speed enforcement zones.

“This will be supported by the conducting of speed enforcement checks by An Garda Síochána Roads Policing Units nationwide.”