Significant drop in number of motorists caught speeding and using a phone while driving in Tipperary

The 34% drop in the number of motorists caught driving in Tipperary while using their mobile phones in the first 10 months of last year has been described by a garda chief as an “encouraging sign” the public are getting the message about the dangers of this activity. 

Tipperary/Clare Garda Division Chief Supt Colm O’Sullivan welcomed the significant fall in the number of  using mobile phones while driving detections across the county. 

There were 540 of these offences detected between January and October in 2022 compared to 818 over the same period in 2021. 

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That's according to the latest crime figures detailed at Tipperary Joint Policing Committee meeting

He also welcomed the 20% drop in the number of drivers caught speeding in  county Tipperary over the first 10 months of last year. The number of speeding offences was 3,324 compared to 4,156 over the same period in 2021. 

However, he expressed concern about the 28% rise in the number of motorists caught driving without wearing a seatbelt in the first 10 months of last year.  A total of 260 motorists were detected committing this offence in the county compared to 203 over the same period last year. 

He said when you look at fatal traffic accidents, not wearing a seat belt was a “significant contributory factor” to injuries and death in collisions.