Latest news with #JaneHumphries
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Woman, 60s, rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by electronic scrambler on Dublin city centre road
A WOMAN, aged in her 60s, has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by an electronic scrambler. The horror incident occurred on Gardiner Street in Advertisement 1 A pedestrian is in a serious condition after the hit-and-run last night Credit: Damien Storan The woman, who was a pedestrian, was struck by an electronic scrambler that failed to remain at the scene. She is being treated in Beaumont Hospital for her serious injuries after being transferred from the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. In a statement a They said: "Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of a road traffic collision on Gardiner Street in Dublin 1, yesterday evening, Thursday 1st May 2025. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS "The collision, involving a pedestrian and an electronic scrambler, occurred at approximately 7:30pm. "The e-scrambler failed to remain at the scene. "The road was closed for technical examination, and has since reopened. "The female pedestrian, aged in her 60s, was conveyed to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, and later transferred to Beaumont Hospital, for treatment of serious injuries. Advertisement Most read in Irish News "Investigations are ongoing." I'm an Irish driving instructor and here is why your friends are failing the test Separately this morning motorists are advised to drive with caution this morning due to a number of obstructions on busy roads. Debris is sitting on the M1/N1 northbound between J15 Castlebellingham and J16 Dundalk. There is also debris sitting on the M4 Eastbound between Junction 8 Kilcock and Junction 7 Maynooth. Advertisement It comes after motorists were left swerving on the M2 in Antrim, Huge tail backs of traffic formed on the busy stretch after 5pm yesterday as they attempted to It is understood the clothing appear after a lorry shed its load. A Advertisement "Delays should be anticipated in the area.' 'HUGE RISK AND DANGER' And separately, Gardai in the Republic have issued a major safety alert ahead of a busy bank holiday on Irish roads. Officials are pleading with the public to not drive under the influence of Posting online Gardai said: "Since January, we have had to arrest more than 800 people on the roadside for driving while under the influence of drugs. Advertisement "This long weekend, please do not take your life and the lives of others into your hands by drug driving." And Jane Humphries Chief Superintendent, Road Policing Unit said: "We are appealing to everyone not to get behind the wheel of a car if you're under the influence of any intoxicants, especially drugs. "We know that drugs can impair your ability. It impairs your coordination, impairs your reaction time. "It causes a huge risk and a danger not only to yourself but to other road users." Advertisement
The Journal
02-05-2025
- The Journal
Gardaí planning to roll out 'a lot more' e-scooter speed testing kits across the country
GARDAÍ HAVE CONFIRMED that they plan on purchasing 'a lot more' e-scooter and e-bike speed testing kits, which will be distributed to garda stations across the country. Earlier this month, The Journal revealed the first look at the kits, bench-sized dynamometers (essentially treadmills) which can be used to measure the appropriate speed of electric bicycles and scooters. The new devices were acquired by gardaí in recent months from the Netherlands, and members of the roads policing unit have started training on the machines this week. According to Jane Humphries, chief superintendent of the roads policing bureau, gardaí are only the second national police force in the world to use the kits. She explained yesterday that current use of the kits is a 'proof of concept' – meaning that gardaí are testing the practical use of the dynamometers before a full nationwide rollout. 'One kit has gone to each of the regions across the country,' Humphries said. Gardaí currently have four of the dynamometers - located across the North, South, East and Dublin Metropolitan administrative regions. 'We will hopefully buy a lot more of the kits,' Humphries added. Advertisement Dutch police using the kit to test an e-bike. Politie NL Politie NL Regulations allowing the use of e-scooters in public places came into effect last year and restricted the vehicles to a maximum speed of 20km per hour. They must also meet particular lighting and braking requirements. For e-bikes, pedal-assisted electric bicycles, a maximum speed of 25km/h is allowed, and they must have a motor that cuts off once pedalling stops. Under the new regulations, gardaí have the power to confiscate any device that is found to be too powerful. The new laws also banned the use of the scooters by those under the age of 16, and banned them from having fixed seats on board. It also prohibited the practice of two people riding on one scooter. Humphries said that the kits will aid gardaí with prosecutions and court cases involving e-scooters. 'It is very difficult to prove speed, weight and size of an e-scooter, but this kit now gives us calibrated machines,' Humphries said. 'Hopefully we will get a few through to the courts so that we can also test them through the court process.' Although an increasingly common mode of transport, the use of e-scooters was technically illegal until last year. This legal anomaly meant the world's biggest scooter-sharing firm, Lime, was prevented from launching in Ireland , The Journal revealed. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
01-05-2025
- The Journal
'It's not worth it': Gardaí and RSA issue drug-driving warning in new awareness campaign
GARDAÍ AND THE Road Safety Authority (RSA) have issued a warning to drivers across the country ahead of the bank holiday weekend, urging them to avoid driving under the influence. The appeal to drivers comes less than two weeks after the Easter bank holiday weekend, when three people died on Irish roads and 12 more were seriously injured across 11 accidents. During the same period, 149 people were arrested for drink and drug driving. Gardaí have said that they will step up roadside enforcement this weekend, with a significant number of drink and drug testing checkpoints and unmarked garda vehicles to be rolled out over the coming days. Speaking ahead of the operation, Garda Chief Superintendent Jane Humphries told reporters that over 810 people have been arrested so far this year on the roadside for driving under the influence of drugs. Approximately half of those arrested are under the age of 30, she said. A garda checkpoint in Dublin city. Andrew Walsh / The Journal Andrew Walsh / The Journal / The Journal 'I cannot emphasise enough the danger that you're putting yourself in and the danger you're putting other road users in,' Humphries said. 'The risk you're taking is not worth it. You do not want to be responsible for injuring yourself, perhaps killing another person because you took that chance of driving while it's not the influence of drugs.' The appeal coincides with the launch of an RSA campaign on the issue of drug driving in Ireland, which they say aims to 'correct public misconceptions' and raise awareness, especially among young people, about the risks of drug-driving. Advertisement A number of TV, radio and social media advertisements will be rolled out by the RSA in the coming days to raise awareness of the dangers of drug driving. An RSA warned that even small quantities of drugs could impair a person's ability to drive safely, and driving under the influence could lead to someone losing their job, restrict their ability to travel internationally and affect their personal relationships. Sarah O'Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA, said that there are 'very real consequences' to driving under the influence. 'Your motor skills are impaired, you do not have appropriate reaction do not have appropriate coordination, and your perception is altered,' O'Connor explained. 'None of those make for a good driver or a safe driver, but those are the risks you take if you get behind the wheel and you're under the influence.' Last year, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety received 4,348 samples for drug analysis, a 12% increase on the year before. In almost three-quarters (73%) of the positive drug results, the drivers were under 44 years of age and most were men. Cannabis and cocaine were the top two drugs found. While gardaí were supplied with 20,000 roadside drug-testing devices in 2023, this has more than doubled to 45,000 this year. Assistant garda commissioner for roads policing Paula Hilman said gardaí were encountering more people failing roadside drug tests. 'Our enforcement data shows that Gardaí are encountering an increased number of people failing roadside drug tests,' Hilman said. 'Half of those detected driving under the influence of drugs since January 2024, were aged under 30.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Mayo speeding fines quashed over camera error on N17
Almost 2,000 motorists in the Republic of Ireland are to have speeding fines and penalty points decision has been taken because the speeding was detected by an uncertified speed 1,871 drivers were caught speeding on the N17 in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland between 20 December 2024 and 12 February were all issued with fixed charge notices. The speeding was detected by a static speed safety camera system, and it is standard procedure for all cameras used for speeding detection to have valid calibration certificates issued by the GoSafe camera (Irish police) have explained that in conjunction with GoSafe they discovered that the camera, located near the town of Claremorris, was fully functional and accurately identifying offences, but it was not discovery was made on 12 February and the decision to quash fines and points was announced on of the motorists who were caught speeding on the busy road have already paid fines and they will now be refunded.A full breakdown of the figures shows that 800 notices were paid and penalty points applied while a further 123 fines were paid but the error was identified before these drivers were given penalty points. 'Very much regretted' Garda Ch Supt Jane Humphries said "this error is very much regretted".However, she added: "The level of speeding breaches issued since the camera went operational on December 20, 2024 demonstrates the continued need for all motorists using this road to slow down."A spokesperson for the camera provider said: "At GoSafe, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. During a routine quality assurance check, we identified that the calibration certificate for radar components in a static speed camera on the N17 in Mayo had expired.""To prevent a recurrence, we have implemented enhanced safeguards within our quality assurance process," the spokesperson impacted by error are now being notified by gardaí.The speed safety camera system went live on 20 December was not operational between 1 January 2025 and 17 January 2025 as it had been means that all the 1,871 speeding notices were issued over a period of 39 operational days. The N17 became part of Irish folklore after an Irish band, The Saw Doctors, released a song of the same name around was a nostalgic Irish emigration song at the height of mass emigration from the country and the band subsequently became hugely popular in Ireland and among Irish communities in the UK and US as well as in other parts of the world.
