Behaviour described as ‘irresponsible’
FOOTAGE of motorists from the Shannon direction reversing back onto the Clonmacken roundabout, just before the entrance to the Tunnel toll plaza, has been handed over to gardaí.
Drivers have been observed conducting the dangerous manoeuvre of reversing in the hard shoulder to take an alternative route, not wanting to pay the toll charge.
Cameras dotted along the new road network have also captured drivers performing U-turns and driving in the wrong direction.
The footage was sent to the Road Safety Authority by Tunnel management, prompting a national campaign to educate motorists against such irresponsible driving.
Tunnel operator Direct Route’s General Manager, Tom King, told the Limerick Post that he was now working with the RSA to introduce measures to prevent such behaviour.
“We have had incidents where people drove onto the approach roads at Rosbrien, the Ennis Road junction and Clonmacken, then changed their minds and did a U-turn, driving in the wrong direction.
“Motorists were getting to know the route, which explains most of this, but we are still seeing ‘ghost drivers’ exiting the roundabout at Clonmacken to use the tunnel, seeing the toll plaza and reversing back on to the roundabout.
“This driver behaviour is completely irresponsible and dangerous”.
“Also, if there is an accident and cars are queuing up behind it, impatient drivers have turned around and gone back the way they came, on a one-way road”.
Mr. King explained that the gardaí were taking these matters very seriously.
“There will be a court appearance and possibly a driving ban for those prosecuted.
“The tunnel road is one of the safest in the country because of our cameras, and the automatic detection system that alerts gardaí to incidents of dangerous driving or accidents”.
Mr. King met with the RSA this Tuesday and revealed that stringent new measures to prevent dangerous driver behaviour are to be introduced in the coming months.
