Gardaí escalate efforts to put a halt to boy racers in Mayo

THE gardaí in Mayo are putting the brakes on boy racers, with modified vehicles being seized and numerous speeding tickets issued in targeted operations.

CCTV is also being deployed in conjunction with Mayo’s road safety office to stamp out activities such as donuts.

In one hotspot - near the landfill site in Newport - people have been plagued by Fast and Furious style race meetings for months.

Concern about boy and girl racers was aired at a meeting of Mayo’s Joint Policing Committee (JPC) where Supt. Tom Calvey set out details of targeted operations.

Specific operations are held on bank holiday weekends, with an arrest for drug driving at Easter, on April 3, and modified vehicles being detained as they were considered dangerous.

Two tickets were issued for drivers driving while unaccompanied, four for speeding and one for having no L plates displayed. One vehicle was seized for being uninsured.

Also at that checkpoint, 13 tickets were issued for Covid breaches – drivers who had passengers who were outside the regulations.

A day later a further seven speeding tickets were handed out, with one motorist found driving on the N5 at 174 kph.

Over the May bank holiday weekend, there was one arrest for drunk driving, five vehicles were seized, with 44 drivers receiving speeding tickets, and tickets also issued for bald tyres, tax, mobile phones and driving without due care and attention. One prosecution is pending for production of a false licence.

One arrest for drunk driving took place on the June bank holiday weekend, along with 55 speeding tickets issuing. Three vehicles were seized, along with one fake licence.

Where there are minor infringements, cautions are issued, explained Supt. Calvey, where the young person brings their vehicle to a garda station and it is inspected to ensure it is in safe condition.

Mayo road safety officer Noel Gibbons said there has been a noticeable increase in the number of roads left marked after late night activities of drivers speeding and doing donuts.

Residents have reported skidding, honking horns and loud music.