Garda Traffic Corps

The Garda National Roads Policing Bureau (GNRPB) (Irish: Póilínú Bóithre) is the roads policing unit of the Garda Síochána. Prior to 2018, it was known as the Garda Traffic Corps.[1][2][3]

Two Garda Traffic Corps Hyundai i30 and Toyota Avensis vehicles

Duties and organisation

The main responsibility of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau (GNRPB) is to improve road safety and reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injury on Ireland's roads.[4]

Each Division of the Garda Síochána now has a Roads Policing Unit of its own,[5] with an additional regional unit assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

Dublin Metropolitan Region

The Dublin Metropolitan Region Roads Policing Unit was the first dedicated traffic unit, established in 1953.[6] It is headed by a Chief Superintendent and supported by 2 Superintendents, 2 Inspectors, 15 Sergeants, 101 Gardaí operating from a facility at Dublin Castle.[7] This unit supports all Divisional Roads Policing Units within the Dublin Metropolitan area as well as conducting checkpoints and patrol of the entire duration of the M50 motorway.

Programs

Following a review by the Traffic Corps of collisions involving fatalities, serious injury, and minor injury, the organisation compiled a list of 'Collision Prone Zones' which was published on the Garda website.[8][9] These zones were subsequently subject to 'targeted enforcement of road traffic and road transport legislation'.[10][11] As of 2016, these zones are subject to monitoring by the operators of speed detection vans.[8]

Vehicles

Garda Roads Policing Units use a range of vehicles, including motorcycles, marked and unmarked cars and 4x4 vehicles. Marked Roads Policing Unit vehicles are visibly different from standard Garda vehicles in that they feature the words "Roads Policing" and its Irish translation, "Póilínú Bóithre", along with full-coverage high visibility blue and yellow Battenburg markings.[12]

Cars

One of the main Roads Policing vehicles was the Hyundai i40 Tourer, with a smaller number of Opel Insignia Estates and Hyundai i30 Tourers in service.[13] A number of Hyundai i40[13] and older Ford Mondeo saloons are used as unmarked vehicles in certain units. The Hyundai Tucson is now the main vehicle used by the Garda Roads Policing Unit.

SUVs
Pearse Street Divisional Traffic Corps 2015 Fiat Ducato

The Mitsubishi Pajero and Ford Ranger currently serve as the unit's 4x4s,[14] and are used for motorway patrol. The Roads Policing Unit also operates a four-door Isuzu D-Max as a motorway support vehicle.

Vans
Former Garda Traffic Corps patrol vehicle

Pearse Street Divisional Roads Policing Unit is equipped with a Fiat Ducato van for transporting cones. The Dublin Metropolitan Region Roads Policing Unit also operates a single marked Ford Transit automatic speed limit enforcement photo radar van.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles used by the Roads Policing Unit include BMW F800 and Honda Deauville 700cc models.[15] as the standard motorcycle. The BMW RT1200 is the current advanced motorcycle having replaced the Yamaha FJR 1300 since 2012, the purchase of the RT1250 has also begun since the RT1200 was phasaed out.

Former vehicles

Formerly, the Ford Mondeo served as the standard patrol vehicle, in both marked and unmarked variants, with the Isuzu Trooper and later the Toyota Land Cruiser serving as the standard 4x4 vehicles.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) was introduced for use by the Traffic Corps in 2009, and the 'nationwide roll-out of ANPR technology [..] completed in 2010.[16] While ANPR systems are standard on cars assigned to Roads Policing units,[17] as of March 2017, the expansion of the use of ANPR technology was due to continue through to June 2019,[18]

Media

Traffic Blues is a documentary series broadcast on RTÉ One. It follows various traffic officers from the Garda Síochána.[19]

References
  1. "Garda Traffic Corps set to be replaced by unit with wider remit". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  2. "Press Releases - May 2018 - 87 new Garda Members appointed to Roads Policing Units throughout the country". Garda.ie. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  3. "Garda National Roads Policing Bureau Homepage". Garda.ie. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  4. "Roads Policing Unit". garda.ie. Garda Síochána. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  5. "87 new Garda Members appointed to Roads Policing Units throughout the country". garda.ie. Garda Síochána. May 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  6. "The Traffic Corps". Garda Síochána. 2009. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  7. "Traffic Corps - Dublin Metropolitan Region". Garda.ie. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011.
  8. "Safety Cameras". garda.ie. Garda Síochána. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  9. "Road reopens after Co Donegal crash". rte.ie. RTÉ. 15 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2018. ten stretches of [the R238] route are classed as collision-prone zones on official garda files
  10. "Gardaí working with communities to improve safety". garda.ie. Garda Síochána. April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  11. "Policing Plan 2007" (PDF). garda.ie. Garda Síochána. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  12. "Photos of New Roads Policing Unit Vehicles". Twitter.com. Garda Traffic. 13 January 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  13. "370 new cars and vans are on their way to the gardaí". thejournal.ie. The Journal. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018. [GRAPHIC] Breakdown of 370 new vehicles: Marked - [..] Hyundai i30 Estates 85 [..] Hyundai i40 Estates 160 [..] Opel Insignia Sports Tourer-Traffic 20
  14. "Kildare Gardai get new wheels to police roads". kildarenow.com. Kildare Now. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2018. In recent years, Traffic Gardai have been using Ford Ranger pick-up trucks to enforce road traffic laws on the roads
  15. "Here's how Garda Traffic bikers practice". thejournal.ie. The Journal. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  16. "Gardai armed with 'hotlist' of uninsured drivers to clamp down on rogue motorists". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  17. "Calls to roll out road check devices to all gardaí". Irish Examiner. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018. currently only Roads Policing cars have Automatic Number Plate Recognition ('ANPR') fitted. All other garda cars, marked or otherwise, are not routinely fitted with this critical detection device
  18. "Full Garda number-plate recognition may take until late 2019". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 22 March 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  19. "IFTN Press Release - 'Traffic Blues' for Big Mountain". 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
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