Sensors and flashing warning lights are to be considered as possible deterrents to wrong-way driving on the motorways, with the growing phenomenon raised by concerned gardai and councillors in the county this week.
Gardai locally confirmed that they have noticed an increased frequency of incidents in which drivers are driving the wrong way on the M6 motorway, this week’s meeting of the Galway County Council JPC was told.
They told the meeting that they are to liaise with Galway County Council and other agencies in a bid to reduce the number of incidents, many of which have resulted in fatalities.
One suggestion already forwarded to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII ) is to create obstructive ramps on slip roads which would rise if sensors detect vehicles going the wrong way. The use of strong flashing warning lights is also being considered.
Garda Supt Karen Moloney told the meeting that this problem has been especially prevalent in the Loughrea area with cars entering the motorway at Kiltullagh and travelling in the direction facing oncoming traffic.
The matter of wrong way driving on the motorway was highlighted recently when four people died after a car was driven in the incorrect direction on the M6 near Ballinasloe.
“I do not know whether this phenomenon is down to driver error or the logistics of the junctions at Kiltullagh, but we have seen an increase in the number of such incidents.
“We have asked Galway County Council to take a look and see if they can do anything at the area to reduce the risk of this happening again,” said Supt Moloney.
The matter had been raised at the meeting by Cllr Daithi O Cualain who said that he had become aware of this through social media posts, but that he wanted to verify it by talking to the gardai.
“If you believe social media, then people are often observed driving the wrong way on the motorway,” he said. "It is very serious if this is true."
The matter has gained traction all over the country with some local authorities contacting Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII ) to introduce greater safety measures to cut down on the number of deaths caused by people driving the wrong way on motorways.
There have been several such fatal accidents in recent years, especially along the Cork-Dublin motorway (M8 ) in north Cork, the M50, the M7, and most recently on the M6 in Galway. In some of these cases, cars were driven in the wrong direction deliberately, while in other cases, driver confusion has led to cars entering the incorrect ramp and into oncoming traffic.
Following Monday's meeting, councillors felt there was an urgent need to engage with appropriate public bodies requesting that enhanced signage and warning measures would be installed on our motorway slip roads to indicate if a road-user is entering the motorway from the wrong direction.
A call has been made for a national audit of incidents so that a cohesive approach to the problem can be drawn up.
One suggestion from Cork County Council was that ramps could even be fitted with devices to puncture tyres and prevent the wrong-way vehicles from moving any further.
