Road safety officials have warned that meet-ups, reminiscent of scenes from Hollywood film franchise Fast and Furious, have soared in popularity since the first lockdown, with lives said to be at risk.
The latest instalment of the high speed blockbuster franchise, Fast and the Furious, is not helping an increasing number of illegal driving stunts by ‘boy racers’ in industrial estates and on rural roads across the country.
A new plague of bored boy racers are driving rural residents round the bend.
Road safety officials and An Garda Siochanna warn the meet-ups, often held at night, have soared in popularity since the first lockdown.
Road campaigners say lives could be at risk.
Noel Gibbons road safety officer in the communications office of Mayo County said: “In the early days of lockdown there was a particular problem with drivers speeding on quitter roads.
“Whereas the Gardai quickly cracked down on this speeding, we’re concerned these cruising-style events appear to be proliferating out from the larger towns into rural areas, where local youths have discovered their roads are much quieter at night and are difficult to monitor with look outs and advertising the meet ups on social media channels, but the Gardai still have managed to seize some vehicles because of some modifications made to them that renders them unroadworthy”.
The County Council is turning to CCTV in a partnership campaign with An Garda Siochanna to stamp out the scourge of boy racers doing donuts on the public road endangering their lives and the lives of others. There is also the cost of repairing these junctions, it could be anywhere from €500 up to €1,000 or €1,200, depending on if a stop or yield marking needs replacement. The CCTV cameras are placed with signage at known locations where this behaviour is taking place and the video footage with the offenders on it is forwarded to the Gardai.