Irish Police (Gardaí) Deploy Covert Spy Truck, Catch 100 Drivers for Dangerous Behavior on Busy Irish Roads Amid ‘Real Risk’ Warning

Irish Police (Gardaí) have launched a covert operation involving a secret heavy goods vehicle (HGV) to tackle dangerous driving and improve road safety. This initiative is part of Operation IOMPAR, a nationwide enforcement effort targeting traffic violations on dual carriageways and motorways in Ireland.

This year, Gardaí have already caught over 15,000 drivers using their phones while driving, an increase of nearly 2,000 cases compared to last year. The newly introduced spy truck has identified over 100 drivers engaged in phone-related violations.

Gardai are using the lorry in an effort to clamp down on dangerous driving. Credit: RTE News collect. The.Dylan          

In the past month alone, more than 420 drivers have received penalty points and fines for using their phones while driving. The introduction of the HGV aims to overcome challenges in detecting offences, mainly due to the height of certain vehicles, which can obstruct visibility.

@todayfm

Gardaí Are Now Using a Lorry to Catch Bad Drivers 🚓 An Garda Síochána has started using an unmarked lorry to catch bad behaviour on the roads 👀 The cab has been fitted with blue lights and has had its speed limiter removed 🚨 ‘Operation IOMPAR’ involves Gardaí using the truck to see into other lorries and down into cars to spot things like mobile phone use and seatbelt offences 📲 Normal patrol cars then follow the truck and are given instructions by the lorry to pull over offending drivers 🚙 Today FM News observed the truck in action on the N7, M50 and N4 during a Monday afternoon patrol. During the operation, two HGV drivers were spotted without seatbelts in the space of just 40 minutes both received 3 penalty points each. #ireland #irishroads #roadsafety

♬ International Super Spy – dylan

The covert truck allows Gardaí to monitor drivers from multiple angles and detect a variety of offences, including mobile phone use, failure to wear seatbelts, and other distractions that could lead to severe accidents. This operation is designed to enhance law enforcement’s ability to ensure compliance with road safety regulations.

Inspector Peter Woods has confirmed that over 100 people have been caught through the trucks. Credit: RTE News collect.

Superintendent Stephen McCauley of An Garda Síochána’s Roads Policing Unit emphasised the operation’s importance. “Detecting irresponsible drivers on dual-carriageways or motorways can be difficult, so deploying an unmarked HGV will significantly support our enforcement efforts,” McCauley said. He stressed the need for drivers to be aware of the risks associated with distracted driving, which can lead to severe accidents.

The Operation IOMPAR HGV will be operated by specially trained Gardaí, with an observer tasked with identifying and reporting violations. This information will be relayed to enforcement teams in marked or unmarked vehicles, who will then act to address any detected offences.

McCauley highlighted that the operation’s primary goal is to enhance safety. “Our ultimate aim is to keep people safe on the roads. We reinforce road safety’s importance by adopting advanced technology and strategic enforcement measures. The new HGV will improve our ability to detect offences and improve road safety.”