Travelling to work at 178kph in a van in snowy conditions

A 36-year-old driver doing 178km/h in poor weather conditions near Castlebaldwin fined €1,000 for careless driving by Judge Kevin Kilrane at Sligo District Court on Friday.

Michael Rock of Darogue, Ballymahon, Co Longford was caught speeding at Hollybrook, Castlebaldwin on March 1st 2020 on his way to work in Sligo.

Sergeant Derek Butler told the court road conditions were poor and it only finished snowing five minutes before the vehicle, a 192 Volkswagen Caddy van, was stopped by Garda John Carroll at 9:59am. Although the snow didn’t stick, it was very wet and there were other vehicles on the road at the time.

The defendant was subsequently arrested for dangerous driving and brought to Ballymote Garda Station.

Defending solicitor Mr Gerard McGovern said his client was a 36-year-old man with no previous convictions and no speeding convictions. He was a man who travelled to work everyday, as a social worker and he described it as being completely out of character for him. Mr McGovern outlined that he needed his licence for workHe said Rock was putting his hands up at the mercy of the court. He said it was a fast speed and he didn’t know whatever came over him.

Mr McGovern toldJudge Kilrane he was well familiar with the road and his client should not be travelling at that speed.

Mr McGovern said his client was a hard working man who was never in court before and said he had a good job that demanded a lot of work and commitment.

Judge Kilrane asked the defendant why he was speeding and he said there was no reason why he was in such a rush, that it was a moment of madness.

Judge Kilrane said he knew the road particularly well and he travels it almost daily. He said although it was a straight stretch of road, it was a two lane highway, not a motorway, and the two lane highways are the most dangerous as one direction is going east, while the other goes west.

In this particular case, it’s not a particularly safe road, it encourages speed, he said.

The judge said the aggravating factor was the 178km/h, a shocking speed, adding if a tractor or so forth were to emerge from a side road with the area in question being a farming one, it could have had serious consequences.

He said travelling at 100km/h covers a 30m distance in a second and with his calculations Mr Rock was covering 45m a second, saying his ability to stop in an emergency was greatly hindered.

The mitigating circumstances were no previous convictions, that he was a hardworking man on his way to work and he was quite honest that there was no reason for the speed.

Judge Kilrane said from what he understood a Caddy van that is very light at the back. He said if Rock was convicted of dangerous driving it would carry a two year ban. He said he was going to reduce it to careless driving and t fined him €1,000.