Skip to main content

Dublin Tunnel gets average speed enforcement

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is working with the4 Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, on the installation of Ireland’s first average speed camera enforcement system, which will be deployed in the Dublin Port Tunnel. Opened in 2006, the 4.5 km tunnel forms part of the M50 C-Ring road around Dublin City. Traffic levels through the tunnel have increased by 40 per cent over the last five years and as a result there is statistically, an increase in the potential for collisions and accidents.
June 13, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is working with the4 Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, on the installation of Ireland’s first average speed camera enforcement system, which will be deployed in the Dublin Port Tunnel.

Opened in 2006, the 4.5 km tunnel forms part of the M50 C-Ring road around Dublin City.  Traffic levels through the tunnel have increased by 40 per cent over the last five years and as a result there is statistically, an increase in the potential for collisions and accidents.  

Average speed camera enforcement systems look to mitigate this potential because statistics show that there is typically a 50 per cent reduction in the collision rate once in operation.

The average speed camera enforcement system monitors a driver’s average speed while driving through the Dublin Port Tunnel and if a driver is above the 80 km/h speed limit the driver will be in violation and enforcement penalties will apply.

When the average speed camera enforcement system determines that a vehicle has exceeded the speed limit, it will automatically create a record of the violation which will then be transmitted to An Garda Síochána for their action. The enforcement procedure will mirror the existing procedures  developed by An Garda Síochána for automated processing of Road Traffic Offences that incur fixed charges and if applicable penalty points.

Large yellow poles will support the average speed camera enforcement system and testing will commence once the cameras are mounted. Upon completion of system testing it is anticipated that the system will go live later this year.

Average speed is recorded between two camera positions covering all lanes therefore switching lanes will have no effect on average speed monitoring.  The system will not have flashing lights or other operational indications, but it will be monitoring at all times.

Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid, Garda National Traffic Bureau said, “We welcome this enhancement to the operations of the Dublin Port Tunnel.  Due to an increase in traffic travelling through Dublin Port Tunnel this new enforcement system provides additional support toward maintaining a safe travel experience for all users of the Tunnel.”

“An average speed camera enforcement system will assist in maintaining the Dublin Port Tunnel’s strong safety record, said RII CEO Michael Nolan. “ TII is grateful to An Garda Síochána for supporting us with this operational improvement.”

Related Content

  • Cellint measures speed and travel time without roadside infrastructure
    April 10, 2014
    Collecting speed and travel time data without using roadside infrastructure could offer new possibilities to cash-strapped road authorities. Streaming video may be useful for traffic controllers to monitor incidents and automatic number plate recognition may be required for enforcement, but neither are necessary for many ITS functions. For instance travel times, tailbacks, percentage of vehicles turning, origin and destination analysis can all be done using Bluetooth and/or WI-Fi sensors and without video o
  • Costing transit is complicated case
    August 19, 2015
    David Crawford welcomes fresh thinking from Canada. Public transit improvements can bring society “significantly more value” than conventional transport models normally indicate, argues Canadian researcher Todd Litman. “Traditional evaluation practices originally developed to assess roadway improvements, and focus primarily on vehicle travel speeds and operating costs. “They do not generally quantify or monetise basic mobility benefits, vehicle ownership and parking cost savings, or efficient land developme
  • More Than: over half of Britons in test support car crash images used as speeding deterrent
    November 20, 2017
    58% of Britons who took part in a More Than (MT) visual deterrent speed sign test support its new proposal for speed limit signs to be accompanied by images of car crashes to deter drivers from speeding. The test follows a recent study from the campaign group, which revealed that 62% of drivers regularly ignore speeding signs along with 25% who stated that the threat of having to attend a speed awareness course isn't enough of a deterrent. Upon the reasons behind the effectiveness of the images in causing
  • Machine vision makes red light enforcement easier
    December 1, 2015
    Teledyne Dalsa’s Manny Romero looks at how the combination of camera manufacturer and software provider can make enforcement easier. Californian video analytics solution provider Eutecus develops real-time images capture and high speeds processing technology for applications including intelligent lighting and advanced driver assistance systems.