+34
The Irish government has pledged to enact new legislation by the end of the year to impose harsher penalties for aggravated dangerous driving, particularly focusing on deliberately driving the wrong way down motorways and dual carriageways. This announcement follows a fatal crash in August where five teenagers died after their vehicle collided with another while driving against the traffic flow on the M9. The proposed law would criminalize such behavior more explicitly, potentially leading to longer jail sentences and improved technology for detection and enforcement.
Five teenagers died when they were travelling the wrong way down the M9 on August 16th and their BMW collided with a Hyundai going the right way.
Photograph: Niall Carson/PA“Aggravated” dangerous driving, including deliberately driving the wrong way down a motorway, will result in harsher penalties under legislation that the Government plans to have enacted before the end of this year.said officials would next week start work on stricter laws for those who “deliberately put other people’s lives at risk”. It follows thehas proposed a new offence of intentionally driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway or motorway under the existing Roads Act.
The existing law that criminalises dangerous driving will now include “wrong-way driving” on specific public roads.for failing to remove videos of illegal and dangerous driving from its platform and he accused it of prioritising making money over its “moral obligation” to the people of Ireland. Five teenagers died when the BMW they were travelling in was driven the wrong way on the M9 near Moone,A child and three women from the same family, who were travelling to Dublin Airport in the other car, were seriously injured in the same incident.
They were on the correct side of the motorway.and the Department of Justice also attended the meeting in Leinster House. The same group is scheduled to meet again in four weeks.
Next week An Garda Síochána will meet the departments of Justice and Transport again. Canney said his department would be discussing the proposed laws for “aggravated” driving with the Department of Justice and the Attorney General’s office as soon as next week, with a plan to have legislation enacted by the end of the year. He said that while there was already existing dangerous driving legislation, the “penalty might not be enough”.
Canney said new penalties had yet to be decided by the Government, but he wanted to see longer jail sentences for such offenders and a new social attitude towards such driving that made it “intolerable” to accept.
“I think we need to make sure that when somebody does something this blatantly wrong and actually is imposing danger on other people that there are consequences for them,” he said. He said the Government was also considering proposals from the Department of Justice on how the State can better protect gardaí who pursue vehicles which drive the wrong way down a motorway.
One garda has already faced prosecution for a 2021 incident when he pursued a vehicle that was driving the wrong way down the N7. TII will also be sharing details with the Government of “pilot schemes” that they have been running on new technologies that could be used to limit dangerous driving. The meeting considered what technology could be used to impede cars driving the wrong way down a motorway.
“And what we need to do is to continue, maybe with AI technology to help us detect quicker what’s going on, maybe to have alerts quicker,” he said. Some of the five teenagers killed in the M9 crash had previously shared videos on TikTok of themselves engaged in dangerous driving. TikTok had said it was “closely monitoring content related to this incident” and would remove videos and accounts that broke its rules.
Canney appealed directly to the social media giant to make sure it was not “condoning” illegal activity. He questioned any company that was more interested in “the fact that they want to make money, as opposed to make money and at the same time have a moral obligation to the people in the country and across the world”.
“The people I deal with, the directors, I have very full confidence in them and what they’re doing,” he said. Gardaí appeal for information after woman’s body discovered in Dublin parkKaroline Leavitt leaves chaotic White House with immaculate timingAndy Burnham in Belfast: Mixing up Donegal and Drogheda, but crystal clear on Border pollGardaí appeal for information after woman’s body discovered in Dublin park
Please follow us on Google to support usDangerous Driving Wrong-Way Driving M9 Crash Legislation Road Safety
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chipmaker Analog Devices shifts €5.4bn from Irish operation to USThe company, which has a manufacturing plant in Ireland, books large amounts of global revenues and profits through several Irish subsidiaries
Read more »
Finn Lynch Leads Irish Team at ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in DublinAfter a strong second day of racing, Finn Lynch retains the overall lead in the ILCA 7 Men's World Championship held in Dún Laoghaire. The 141‑sailor field enjoyed light winds and slight swell on Dublin Bay, allowing Lynch to secure second and seventh place finishes that keep him four points ahead of Germany's Ole Schweckendiek and five points ahead of Hungary's Jonatán Vadnai. Ireland's Ewan McMahon also earned a spot in Gold Fleet with an eighth and 13th place haul, while Fiachra McDonnell will compete in Silver Fleet and Bobby Driscoll in Bronze Fleet. The event highlights Ireland's strong presence in senior sailing and the advantages of familiar waters for home competitors.
Read more »
The Irish Times view on the impact of AI: a timely warning from Bill GatesRegulating in all its aspects poses a big challenge for governments
Read more »
Irish Attorney General rules against foreign military deployment in territorial watersThe Irish Attorney General has stated that it is unconstitutional for foreign military forces to operate within Irish territorial waters while on active duty, even if invited by the government. To bypass this restriction, an Irish naval officer is being assigned to the French ship to authorize any potential use of force.
Read more »