Checkpoints over Christmas

patrickc

I'm just curious I drove about 3,000km over the Christmas holidays and didn't come across one checkpoint at any time of the day or night.

Did other's here notice many around, or was there a lower than usual presence of checkpoints around?

I saw plenty of the go safe feckers alright.

The Bishop Basher

Just the one...

I was stopped at a local checkpoint when the lad in front got pulled out of the car for blowin over.

My tax was well out so happy days..

Won't see them again till next year :-0

Mycroft H

Nope nothing and lots of miles between Wexford and Meath. Saw a speedvan outside Bunclody today but nothing else.

Mint Sauce

Not one. Almost 200km between Christmas Morning and night of 27th, and short drives in the early morning, and late evening most days since.

Caranica

Brother in law was breathalysed in Douglas in Cork around lunchtime on Christmas day as was every driver in the line of cars. He was driving to get my nephew to sleep and had no drink

IrishZeus

1500km. No checkpoints.

byhookorbycrook

About 2,000 km done here too , 10 counties in all -and no sign of any checkpoints anywhere.

Noveight

I did roughly 1000km on regional roads and met nothing. There are a number of crossroads/lay-by's in the locality where they're known to frequent and was convinced I'd meet them one of the days.

wicklowwonder

Approx 2k Km between Xmas eve and today, and not one checkpoint. Few speed vans, one very dangerous one today just before Carrickmines turn off on M50. Travelling 120 in a row of cars in overtaking lane when all of a sudden we slowed right down to 80 to go past the van. Could be lethal if anyone wasn’t paying attention.

pudzey101

drink and drug tested on the bike last night cop lost it when i asked for printed results

vicwatson

2 today in 150kms, hadn’t seen one until today, never mind 2

dQuetour

I was expecting to pass through at least one drink/drugs/tax/whatever checkpoint given the time of year and the areas I drive (from rural into urban) but surprisingly I didn't manage to meet any, though I did hear of one on my route just wasn't travelling at that time.

In regards to speed vans, I saw less than usual.

All in order so not bothered but I was surprised.

patrickc

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Approx 2k Km between Xmas eve and today, and not one checkpoint. Few speed vans, one very dangerous one today just before Carrickmines turn off on M50. Travelling 120 in a row of cars in overtaking lane when all of a sudden we slowed right down to 80 to go past the van. Could be lethal if anyone wasn’t paying attention.

I saw him today, he was there at least 2 hours.

vicwatson wrote: »

2 today in 150kms, hadn’t seen one until today, never mind 2

that's mad enough

jimbobaloobob

on one day before Christmas i met 3 checkpoints, breathalysed twice in the space of an hour.

Apart from that came across 2 other checkpoints

boardsuser1

2 in the same spot 3 weeks ago.

Nothing for a few months prior to that and nothing since.

Even the speed traps have eased off.

Atlantic Dawn

Drove about 100 miles the last week, didn't see any checkpoints but did spot a few more Garda cars than normal on the roads.

markpb

Drove back from western Mayo to Dublin today and was stopped at a MAT in Roscommon. I also saw two separate vehicles stopped on the M50.

I think people underestimate the probability of being stopped at a checkpoint, no matter how many miles they do over the Christmas holidays. Even if there were hundreds of checkpoints at the same time, that only covers a few hundred single locations across the entire country and only if you happen to pass those locations in the 30-60 minutes that the checkpoint is in operation.

DaveyDave

Drove to the city centre Christmas Eve at noon and saw nothing. Southbound on the M50 to Dundrum in the evening and saw nothing. Working night shifts from Stephens day to the Friday and saw nothing.

I haven't seen one since Summer which is disappointing. The first 6 months of the year I saw them constantly.

fg1406

Drove between Dub-Cork-Dub-Waterford-carlow-Waterford since 23rd December and saw a few of those Go Safe vans but no cops at all. Couldn’t drive more than 10km earlier in the year without there being checkpoints. Fairly disappointed not to see any.

diceyreilly

Got my car 4 years ago next week.
Have never been stopped at a checkpoint

Seen one in Drogheda yesterday, outside the Fire Station.


Only one I've seen, albeit I admit to not having done a whole heap of mileage this past month or so. Only around Drogheda and the odd venture into Dublin.

Rubberchikken

Not one. And id be out day and night because of work.
Having said that i drive just under all the speed limits, and pay attention so not bothered what gardai or speed van i meet

vandriver

Badlands of Dublin 12 checking in!
One checkpoint with about 10 guards,machine guns ,flak jackets ...Q7 tactical support car,the whole 9 yards.
A bit overboard to check my tax.

2Mad2BeMad

Been through about 12 of them over the Xmas. Driving between crumlin and tallaght mostly.
Theirs one on my road everyday so pretty much guarrenteed 1 a day anyway.

Waved through all times think they recognise me now haha

biko

Didn't see any around Galway county or city.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

1hnr79jr65

Breathalised and drug tested on 24th between maynooth and leixlip, breathalised on 26th near dundrum.

Both were random temp stops that were setup and saw very few cash n'camera vans over 2 weeks.

marvin80

Drove around 1000 kms over Christmas week through around 10 counties - didn't come across any checkpoints.
Passed 1 speed van.

eezipc

Nothing either. Did alot of driving between Roscommon, Mayo and Galway.

fancy pigeon

Plenty in Meath and Kildare. Elsewhere had none that I saw anyway

Miscreant

Did about 2000km since the 23rd between Dublin, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and back to Dublin and saw 1 flash for cash van in Sligo in a 100kph zone near Tubbercurry but it was snowing at the time and the traffic was only crawling along at less than 60kph. Not a single Garda car did I see otherwise.

Dravokivich

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Approx 2k Km between Xmas eve and today, and not one checkpoint. Few speed vans, one very dangerous one today just before Carrickmines turn off on M50. Travelling 120 in a row of cars in overtaking lane when all of a sudden we slowed right down to 80 to go past the van. Could be lethal if anyone wasn’t paying attention.

What's the speed limit there? If you were meant to do 120, why is everyone slamming to 80?

monkeyslayer

Two. One on Stephen's day about lunch time. Another late one evening. Waved through. Both just past the spawell roundabout heading toward templegoue. They love that spot.

wicklowwonder

Dravokivich wrote: »

What's the speed limit there? If you were meant to do 120, why is everyone slamming to 80?

Yeah speed limit is 120. No idea why everyone braked, in both lanes as well. Guess it only takes one or two to slow down and the knock on effect then. But you see it a lot, a speed van in a 100 zone for example and everyone slows to 80, but this was the first time I experienced it in a 120. It was dangerous if you where not paying attention.

ELM327

Drove through Meath, Kildare, Dublin, Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford and Cavan the last couple of days. Stopped 3 times all in Meath. Checking discs and tires only. Wasn't breathalysed.
One of the three I was asked where I was going (I presume to see if there was drink on me) but other than that just waved through.


No sign of them the rest of the year, I do 60k km per year and if it weren't for the 2-3k km on Christmas week I don't think I'd have seen one the other 51 weeks.

BronsonTB

Passed 2 checkpoints in Sligo.
Speedvans every day in various places N4/N17.
Some facebook groups are very good at updating the checkpoints. There was plenty in Co Sligo over the festive season but these were random & not for long in any one spot so could easily have been missed.
But they were about to be fair.

GBX

pudzey101 wrote: »

drink and drug tested on the bike last night cop lost it when i asked for printed results

Why did he lose it? Surely you're entitled to ask for them no?

washman3

pudzey101 wrote: »

drink and drug tested on the bike last night cop lost it when i asked for printed results

A motorbike I take it..??
Incidentally, can a cyclist be drink/drugs tested.?

tayto lover

4 checkpoints in 3 days between Dundalk and Carlingford.
Blew into the bag twice.

RacoonQueen

washman3 wrote: »

A motorbike I take it..??
Incidentally, can a cyclist be drink/drugs tested.?

Would assume so but they don't have a license to add points too. Don't think there is a FCPN for it though. I'd say they'd just seize the bike and tell you to be on your way.

Didn't drive much over christmas but saw two during one run one of the days. One on the drumartin link road coming from ranelagh towards the M50, other in churchtown (well not sure if that was a checkpoint but they'd stopped some eejit driving a 4x4 that was adorned with blue lights)

racso1975

In 20 years of motoring:

Breathalyzer tested once!!!

Check points: 13 and 3 of them this year with 2 of them being just waved through. Non during Xmas period

Pulled over: Once was doing 120 in the 100 zone on Naas dual carriageway.

In reality the chances of being caught in this country are ridiculous. That said car is always taxed insured and nct'd and I'd never drink and drive. But of everybody I know. One was done for speeding and an all fella from where I live failed a drink test....the fukin ridiculous part of that was they asked the passenger was he OK to take car on with him and I'd say he had twice as much and sure enough he took it on with him 😠

harr

Nothing near me , drove about 1000km between 5 counties, the speed vans were even missing from usual spots.

tayto lover

racso1975 wrote: »

In 20 years of motoring:

Breathalyzer tested once!!!

Check points: 13 and 3 of them this year with 2 of them being just waved through. Non during Xmas period

Pulled over: Once was doing 120 in the 100 zone on Naas dual carriageway.

In reality the chances of being caught in this country are ridiculous. That said car is always taxed insured and nct'd and I'd never drink and drive. But of everybody I know. One was done for speeding and an all fella from where I live failed a drink test....the fukin ridiculous part of that was they asked the passenger was he OK to take car on with him and I'd say he had twice as much and sure enough he took it on with him 😠

If you were living in the border area you'd soon get fed up of being stopped.

demanufactured

Nope.