Crettyyard motorist among worst speeding offenders as Garda Christmas crackdown continues

A DRIVER was detected travelling at almost twice the speed limit on the R430 in Crettyyard, Laois during the second week of An Garda Síochána’s Christmas road safety campaign.

The motorist was caught driving at 149km/h in an 80km/h zone, making it one of the most serious speeding offences recorded nationally during the enforcement operation.

This offence in Crettyyard was among a number of extreme speeding incidents highlighted by Gardaí in their latest update on the Christmas road safety campaign, which runs from 1 December 2025 to 5 January 2026.

Other notable speeds detected across the country during the same period included 192km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N56 in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, and 201km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M18 in Kinvara, Co Galway.

During the second week of the operation, between 8 and 14 December, more than 3,265 drivers were detected for speeding offences by An Garda Síochána and GoSafe mobile safety camera vans.

The same week saw eight fatalities on Irish roads and 17 serious collisions resulting in a number of people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

Gardaí carried out over 1,738 checkpoints during the period, including statutory Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) and high-visibility policing checkpoints. Some 147 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

An Garda Síochána is appealing to all road users to slow down, take extra care and give their driving their full attention over the Christmas period.

To date this year, 179 people have lost their lives in road traffic collisions on Irish roads.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​