New data from An Garda Síochána reveals a sharp increase in the number of motorists caught using mobile phones while driving between 2023 and 2024 in several counties, reports Breaking News.
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, MEP for Ireland South, has issued a strong appeal to drivers to avoid using their phones behind the wheel during the bank holiday weekend.
The figures highlight Dublin as a particular concern, with some areas experiencing up to a 237 per cent rise in drivers detected using their phones, compared to the previous year, reports Breaking News.
In the Cork county Garda division, there was a 25 per cent jump in mobile phone offences, while Galway experienced a 21 per cent increase.
Kildare was notably high, with gardaí catching 47 per cent more drivers using phones while driving than the previous year, reports Breaking News.
Dublin recorded the most significant breaches, with marked increases reported across all its Garda divisions.
| Garda Division | Q4 2023 | Q4 2024 | % change |
| Cork County | 199 | 248 | +25 per cent |
| Galway | 215 | 260 | +21 per cent |
| Wexford/Wicklow | 187 | 212 | +13 per cent |
| Kildare | 348 | 511 | +47 per cent |
| Dublin West | 263 | 473 | +80 per cent |
| Dublin South | 137 | 226 | +65 per cent |
| Dublin Central | 158 | 257 | +63 per cent |
| Dublin North | 194 | 306 | +58 per cent |
| Dublin East | 43 | 145 | +237 per cent |
| Limerick | 230 | 246 | +7 per cent |
| Clare/Tipp | 270 | 279 | +3.3 per cent |
Gardaí issued numerous fixed charge notices for mobile phone use behind the wheel between 2023 and 2024.
Ní Mhurchú expressed approval that Garda divisions in counties including Kerry, Cork city, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Carlow all saw year-on-year declines in such offences, reports Breaking News.
Assuming detection methods have remained consistent, Ní Mhurchú referred to this trend as a positive aspect of the latest data.
The MEP has urged the greater deployment of unmarked Garda lorries, which have been highly successful in identifying mobile phone offences among drivers, reports Breaking News.
These tall cab vehicles are used alongside either marked patrol units or unmarked interceptors, giving officers an elevated vantage point to spot traffic violations.
She added that tackling mobile phone use while driving must involve all possible measures, including “discounted insurance policies for drivers who are willing to install or use technology that blocks phones whilst driving.”
The punishment for driving while using a mobile phone includes a €120 fixed charge and the addition of three penalty points, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
