Over €1.6m issued in fines for speeding in Limerick in less than two years
MORE THAN €1.6m in fines and fixed charge notices for speeding have been issued in Limerick in less than two years.
Data released to the Limerick Leader under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that between January 2022 and October 10, 2023, some 13,038 speeding offences have been logged.
And overall, fines to the tune of €1,612,880 have been ordered.
The information shows that over 22 months, a total of €848,625 in fines for other traffic offences were also issued across the Limerick garda division.
This equates to a total of 10,423 offences.
The data, released by An Garda Síochána shows speeding was far and away the most common traffic offence, with €783,280 in fines for 7,845 offences issued in 2022.
Up to October this year, there had been fewer traffic offences logged - 5,193 - but the fines demanded were higher, at €875,600.
For speeding, gardai have the power to issue fines, which the public must pay within a set period of time unless they challenge the fine through the court.
If they do not pay the garda fine within a set period, they could be summonsed to court where the penalties are much heavier.
Any driver caught speeding can avoid court by paying a higher fine to the gardai no more than seven days before they are due to appear before a judge.
The second most common traffic offence recorded in Limerick was for parking in a manner which causes a danger or obstruction.
There were 2,279 of these logged, with total charges of €177,420 sought.
Parking in a bus lane, taxi rank or bus stop accounted for 1,151 offences, with €54,840 in fines issued.
The vast bulk of these - 830 - occurred in 2022.
Some 1,546 people were caught using a phone while driving and were fined €155,880 overall.
Elsewhere, fixed penalties issued for drink driving totalled €9,800, with 40 offences logged.
There were 348 instances of drivers parking or stopping in disabled spaces, with €59,095 of fines issued in total. Finally, there was one instance, in 2022, where a driver was fined €40 for obstructing the entrance to either a fire, ambulance or garda station.