Christmas Check Points

OldmanMondeo

JWas talking to a few lads here and the subject of Garda Check points came up. Out of the few of us only 1 person was stopped at a check point but only for Tax and Insurance. I done a fair bit of driving over Christmas, including New Years Night (I was well oiled*) at midnight-ish, and only got stopped once, as above. Just wondering how many people did actually get stopped at a checkpoint.







*She was driving that night

L1011

3000km in December; didn't get stopped once. 300km of that or so was in NI.

Last year I did about the same mileage - even about the same south/north %, and got stopped 4 times in the Republic and once in NI.

homer90

not stopped once ..... A lot of city driving and a couple cross country runs also.

DublinDilbert

Its the first Christmas in years that i didn't even see 1 check point, have asked a couple of people and they hadn't seen any either. I was driving pretty much every day / evening and drove up the north twice and not a sign of one.

I would even go so far as to say in December there was less check points than you'd normally see.

Eoin

I didn't see one checkpoint either, and was driving a bit at night time. My route home (N11 and Shankill roundabout) is generally where you would see a checkpoint too.

leon8v

I was stopped twice at the same checkpoint within about 15 mins of each other. It was a random breath testing one along with tax and Insurance. It was a big operation with two/three guards at each of 4 exits on a roundabout. Only thing was it was at about 7.30 in the evening on a saturday. Do people drink and drive that early??? I would have thought they would get a few more customers at around midnight to 1am??? Maybe not?
Only 1 I was stopped at for the whole month of December anyway.

kippy

Drove about 1500kms in december. Mayo/Galway/Clare/Limerick and Kerry, mostly in Mayo and Galway.
Went through one checkpoint on the Sunday after Christmas at around 16:00. They were checking for tax/insurance etc on the N17 outside of Claremorris.
I did about the same amount of driving in December 07 and went through none.
I've only gone through 4 checkpoints last year.

bazzachazza

None here did at least 1500kms Enfield-Airport and back through out the month never once saw one on the N4 or N2.

helimachoptor

Did a good bit of driving over Xmas and didnt see one checkpoint.

D

pipsqueak

Twas cold in december tbh

hairybiker

leon8v,

was that Ongar R'about??? (probably not) but I was stopped one of the sat/sun before christmas.

couldn't believe the amount of them - I got stopped for tax at one exit - there were atleast 10 of them around the exits... Was driving the aul lads car and only found out later that he had his other bloody car's disc in it (it's off the road but taxed - the one hes drivin isn't :rolleyes:)

minxie

was stopped twice over christmas once outside tuam
checking for tax and insurance and once outside ballyhaunis (same)
i asked could i have his cool flashing blue light on the road,
(he said no)

herya

2000 km, 2 checkpoints. Only checked insurance though. I think there were some cars on the hard shoulder, maybe they were asked to pull over and do the test.

leon8v

hairybiker wrote: »

leon8v,

was that Ongar R'about??? (probably not) but I was stopped one of the sat/sun before christmas.

couldn't believe the amount of them - I got stopped for tax at one exit - there were atleast 10 of them around the exits... Was driving the aul lads car and only found out later that he had his other bloody car's disc in it (it's off the road but taxed - the one hes drivin isn't :rolleyes:)

No it was out in Swords. Funny thing was, the insurance disc has the name of the company on it rather than the reg and the guye checking the discs asked who owned the car, I told him company car, he asked the name of the company, I gave him the trading name which wasnt the same as the one on the disc, he said fine, go ahead, would be really surprised if he knew both matched. One of the guys doing the breath test was a nice civil guy, friendly, type of guy you dont mind talking to, other one was the usual head up his own arse type on an ego trip.

Holsten

I done alot of driving over christmas too, and seen all of two Garda cars about, rushing somewhere with the lights on.

Not one checkpoint.

by8auj6csd3ioq

met checkpoint new years eve. Had one car pulled over but the garda standing in the road was talking to [ going to pul over?]a car coming towards us and waved us on

patrickc

I did my usual Carlow Dublin - commute 5 nights over xmas and was brethalised once, stephens night I think about 11pm. drove to Cork, Roscommon etc but just saw speed checks otherwise

L-M

I met one, before Christmas going up to the Motors Meet. Thank god it was just tax and insurance:o

ninty9er

I was stopped once and turned off for home just before another one where there was a line of traffic.

The one that stopped me checked tax and insurance, then walked to the window and asked for my licence. No breath test, but she did have the breathalyser on her wrist, ready for anyone she may have had doubts about.

Just because they don't test you doesn't mean they're not testing anyone.

by8auj6csd3ioq

Colton Sweet Slowpoke wrote: »

met checkpoint new years eve.Garda had one car pulled over but the garda standing in the road was talking to [ going to pull over?]a car coming towards us and waved us on

I have edited this as it looked as i had one car pulled over not the police!

ciaran76

I drove Dublin to Armagh and back then Dublin to Mullingar oh and Clonee to Bray over the last week and didnt see 1 checkpoint.

nice_guy80

Basically the Gardai have had most of their overtime stopped due to the budget etc

so less checkpoints! Hurrah!

cianclarke

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Basically the Gardai have had most of their overtime stopped due to the budget etc

so less checkpoints! Hurrah!

Idle speculation, tbh...
Still, I did about 600 miles over the Christmas period without passing one..

When people say "checking tax & insurance" do they really care about NCT? I've never been pulled up on it, must really get that sorted.

sdanseo

I'm driving 2.5 years and have been stopped three times, all at checkpoints (always with someone in the car with me during provisional licence which was damn lucky), and I reckon my tax/NCT was only actually looked at twice out of those as I was waved through one (in a driving school car, stalled as the female Garda laughed her head off).

Haven't been stopped at all since passing my test six months ago, and I'd drive maybe ~100-150km a week.

mumblin deaf ro

Was in and out of town a lot in the evenings doing lifts (am off drink for the past few months) and didn't see any checkpoints.

I'd say there is a serious squeeze on garda overtime at the moment with the current state of the public finances.

eringobragh

Not 1! and done a couple of hundred miles. Obviously no money for overtime :rolleyes:

green-blood

went from Clondalkin to Liffey valley on the 27th to spend my haldfrauds voucher... mmmm 1ltr of SRP, anyway no checkpoint going over, but there was a huge customs and garda check on the way back, 2 transporters, one full with 6 cars and 3 more cars emptied..... all in less than 10 mins.

ottostreet

did around 3500 miles in december. one checkpoint. on the quays just past heuston station in dublin. huge one. garda cars, unmarked cars, and lots of executive saloons all pulled over. all being breathalysed it appeared. i was waved through without a second glance. it was very exciting! that was early december. i was also pulled over once, but thats a different story.

CrowdedHouse

I got breathalysed in Kilimor Co Galway the Friday before Christmas.It was only around 10pm.
They didn't seem to check tax/insurance

Got a bit of a fright 'cos I thought it was a speed trap...road was very quiet and I was pressing on a bit...

Dermo123

Have not come across a checkpoint in months even over christmas. I have heard on a radio program over the hols that they are now equiping over 100 vehicles with cameras that can read your number plate and do an immediate computer check to see if the car is taxed/insured. Hence no need for checkpoints for that purpose. Anyone heard anything about this?

Berty

I do a lot of driving all over the country and only met one checkpoint in December and so far in Jan.

It was a simple tax and Insurance check but he got a good eyeball of both of us first.

I would love to have seen more.

There was one in Limerick 2 maybe 3 years ago on the dual carraigeway stopping people for all manner of things, from tyres to bulbs, provisional drivers to tax and insurance and drink/drug driving.

There were 2 jeeps, 2 squad cars, lot of Gardai and two motorbike cops at the roundabout ready to give chase to those who didnt want to be stopped.

As the darcy show would say "Where are they now?"

JackFrosty

Done alot of late night driving in south tipp over xmas, no check points

TheNog

In fairness there have been many frosty nights with icy roads so not a great time to be doing checkpoints

eringobragh

TheNog wrote: »

In fairness there have been many frosty nights with icy roads so not a great time to be doing checkpoints

Ah sure don't sweat it, we're well (unfortunately) used to it over here "Never a Garda insite when ye need one" ...........

ottostreet

i was looking forward to going through some good ould checkpoints over christmas. nothing better. many's the time myself and a friend have gone driving around dublin specifically looking for one to go through. was massively disappointed. not one! dont want any now. my tax is out.

Top Dog

Covered about 2000 miles in the past 3 weeks stretching from Cork to Ennis and over as far as New Ross. Not a single checkpoint, and I was travelling at all hours of the day.

I always laugh when I hear the news of the Garda Blitz over the holiday period - I'd say in the past 5 years I've seen 1 checkpoint over the seasonal times. And that includes 1 Christmas being based in Dublin and travelling to Cork, Wexford & Clare.

Tech3

met one checkpoint beofre christmas near balindine on the n17 tax insurance

been driving all over the place during christmas including kerry-donegal and back and didnt come across any checkpoint

HPT

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Its the first Christmas in years that i didn't even see 1 check point, have asked a couple of people and they hadn't seen any either. I was driving pretty much every day / evening and drove up the north twice and not a sign of one.

I would even go so far as to say in December there was less check points than you'd normally see.

Ditto!

I have just seen two checkpoints since moving back to Ireland at the start of September and I have done a good few thousand miles around the country. The first was in October there were only two guards so I and a lot of other cars just drove through while one of the guards gave a lecture to someone and the other guard was checking cars going the other way. The 2nd was new years day again just tax and insurance.

Esel

'Just tax and insurance' is what you think. Only the guards themselves know the real reason for the checkpoint.

here.from.day.1

Did a good bit over December, 1-3 hours a day/night around the north east (Newry - Drog - Navan - Dublin - Maynooth - Carlow) and I didnt even see a checkpoint let alone get stopped.

ToxicPaddy

Saw 3 checkpoints, one had a number of plain clothes gardai in vests with guns holstered waiting at the side, obviously looking for someone..

Wasnt stopped at any, just waved through, didnt even check tax and insurance or the usual stick the head in the window to check for the fumes of drink..
usually have the window rolled down and ready to stop anyway just in case when I pull up to a checkpoint.

mcwhirter

Didn't see any checkpoints around ashbourne, navan, slane trim kilcock areas. It was quieter this year than last

Sully

There was a checkpoint by UCD in Dublin early January. Garda Traffic doing them.

Paulw

I was stopped by a checkpoint on the 31st. Quick "good evening officer" and was waved on.

colsers22

I was driving a lot over xmas, I wasn;t stopped once.. I only saw one checkpoint on the N4 in Dublin, but I was going the opposite direction. Anyway, check points shouldn't worry people. Just don't drink and drive, simple!!

OldmanMondeo

Interesting to read, as most I did quite a bit of driving over the christmas period and only meet the 1. We are told to expect a higher Garda presence at Christmas, yet 4 pages in and few were stopped for more than tax and insurance.

So much for the Christmas Drink driving crackdown.

OldmanMondeo

colsers22 wrote: »

Anyway, check points shouldn't worry people. Just don't drink and drive, simple!!

The point of the thread is not about worrying about the check points, it's about the lack of them even though we were advise of a clamp down.

Heroditas

ottostreet wrote: »

did around 3500 miles in december. one checkpoint. on the quays just past heuston station in dublin. huge one. garda cars, unmarked cars, and lots of executive saloons all pulled over. all being breathalysed it appeared. i was waved through without a second glance. it was very exciting! that was early december. i was also pulled over once, but thats a different story.

Was that on a Monday night? I remember seeing all the cars being pulled over.

embraer170

Did about 1000 miles between Christmas/New Years through Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Dublin, Cork including a lot of late night driving... not a single checkpoint.

galwaytt

First garda checkpoint I've come across in 10yrs, on dual carriageway to Oranmore, on 1st Jan, at 10:15a.m. approx.

Got to blow in bag. Curious. Fanta/7Up doesn't register, apparently.

The SO in the pass seat, oth, would have been worth a giggle.

Anyway, best bit was.......heading towards the checkpoint, 2 cars pull in to hard shoulder. One, a 95 reg Camry. He then (I kid you not), does a u-turn.....and drives back up the outer/overtaking/fast/:rolleyes:/ lane, to avoid the checkpoint. Against the traffic.

At this stage, I could see that the guys at the checkpoint could see this maneouvre, and they had a squad car in the hard shoulder, running, headlights modulating, facing the 'wrong way'........and, using their binoculars, they spot the Camry, jump in the Mondeo.

Now - the good bit: A 1/2 mile ahead before the checkpoint, on the hard shoulder, is a........silver, 3-aerieled, 07 D reg Mondeo, running. Want to guess who was sitting in that ??

I'd just love to have been a fly on the (windscreen) for that encounter !!:D