New speed cameras to monitor 17 Clare areas

A NEW network of speed cameras went operational this week, with 17 stretches of road to be covered in Clare.

Initially, 15 camera vans will monitor accident blackspots across the country with the aim of changing driver behaviour but by February, there will be up to 45 cameras in operation.
The 17 areas to be monitored in the Clare are on the garda website, www.garda.ie, with the specific co-ordinates also available to log into a sat nav. These areas of road include two stretches in North Clare, five sections in West Clare, three in the general Ennis area and six in East Clare.
In North Clare, speed cameras will be stationed on a 4.8km stretch on the secondary road from Carrahil to Drumumna townlands in the Crusheen area, while a camera will monitor a 1.4km stretch at Caherlooskaun near Kilshanny until just beyond Ballycarraeile on the N67.
In West Clare, cameras will be located on a 5km stretch of the N67 Kilrush to Kilkee road from Carrowncalla North to Garraun. Also on the N67, a 5.2km route will be covered on the Killimer road just beyond the Vandeleur Gardens to Carrowdotia. The cameras will also monitor a 6.4km stretch on the N68 Ennis to Kilrush Road from Coolmuinga to Ballymacurtin. Also on the N68, a further 4.6km will be covered just north of Lack East to Crown, with another 6.2km stretch on the same road taking in north of Glaun West to Caherea.
In the Ennis area, the cameras will be located along a 4.5km route from Edenvale junction on the N68 to Darragh North on the Kilrush Road. A further 5.3km will be taken in from the Quin Road Business Park on the Quin Road as far as Finanagh. On the Lahinch Road, 2km from Drumcarronmore to Cusack Road just before the Maid of Eireann roundabout will be monitored.
In East Clare, a 3.2km stretch of road on the Kilkishen to Kilmurry Road as far as Mountcashel will be subject to the cameras. The N18 main road to Limerick will be subject to speed cameras along a 4.6km route from the Moyhill area just before Setright’s Cross up to the road connecting to the Limerick tunnel. In South-East Clare, 2.9km from the Corbally Road near Scoil Íde to Firhill Parteen on the R463 will be taken in. Further on from here a 1.8km stretch from Blackwater bridge to Oakfield on the R463 Killaloe Road will also be subject to the cameras and further up on the same road 2.4km from Oakfield to Monaskeha will also be covered. 
In the Killaloe area, 1km from Shantraud, Killaloe to Clarisford on the R463 will be taken in, while checks will be carried out from Hassett’s Cross near Thomond Park, out 1.7km onto the Long Pavement Road near Parteen.
Inspector John Galvin, head of the Clare Traffic Corps, noted, “The purpose is to reduce death and carnage on the roads and to slow people down. They will be placed at strategic locations where there have been serious accidents.
“This is not an exercise in catching people; to be honest we hope that no one is caught. It will be run by a private company but the prosecutions will be taken by An Garda Síochána. We want compliance not detections and we’re hoping that no one is caught. This is purely for monitoring speeding and the camera focuses in on the registration plate and if found over the speed limit, a ticket is issued like a fix charge notice. You’ll have an amount to pay and then if it’s not paid within the time allowed, it will go to court,” he explained.