A motorist travelling at 119km/h in a 50km/h zone in Dublin is among 676 drivers detected speeding today as part of a garda speed enforcement operation.
National Slowdown Day is running for a 24-hour period until midnight tonight.
It is the latest element in an ongoing Christmas campaign, aimed at promoting safer driving and reducing collisions.
Gardaí said that this morning, a driver was found doing almost 120km/h on the Drummartin Link Road in Sandyford in Dublin, which is a 50km/h zone.
Another driver was detected driving 139km/h in a 60km/h zone on the Dublin Road in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, and another driving was detected doing 120km/h in an 80km/h zone on the N52 in Mounthenry, Birr, Co Offaly.
The figures came on what was expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the Christmas period with gardaí appealing to drivers to reduce speed and be mindful of other road users.
Drivers were asked to observe speed limits at all times and to take extra care given the additional numbers making long journeys.
So far this year, 184 people have lost their lives on Irish roads.
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2025 most dangerous year on record for a decade - gardaí
Superintendent Liam Geraghty said the number of road deaths this year is worrying and very, very disappointing.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said: "I suppose 2025 is already the most dangerous year on record for probably 10 years.
"In 2023, we had 182 fatalities in our road, which was the last highest, and we've now gone past that already with certainly a week yet to go of a week when there is an awful lot of additional travel takes place in our roads as people head home for Christmas, travel to socialise over the Christmas period and meet family and friends.
"So, it is a very, very concerning and very, very worrying trend in the last year or two."
He said that An Garda Síochána is out enforcing the speed limits on the roads every day of the year, in conjunction with partners GoSafe.
"There's certainly in excess of 175,000 fixed-charge notices that have been issued for speeding so far this year.
"And again, that's not something that people talk about too much.
"They'll talk about when they don't see a speed check, but they don't tell you when they've actually got penalty points or got a fixed-charge notice for speeding, because that's not something to be proud of or to brag about.
"Our national slowdown days are key days when we actually try to create a conversation around speeding, and that's the aim ... because it is something that we do need to talk about all the time.
"We do need to talk to our partners, our families, sons, daughters, whoever it may be.
"If you know somebody that tends to speed, you need to call them out and you need to ask them to slow down.
"We need to have those conversations now with people while they're still alive.
"There's no point in talking about it when they've added to the number of fatalities on our roads", he said.
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In relation to an increase in people being caught driving under the influence of drugs, he said that it is also worrying.
"The numbers of people caught driving while under the influence of intoxicants continues to increase week on week during this campaign.
"Last week alone, 170. So far in December this year, 444 drivers have been arrested under the influence of intoxicants with about 44, 45% of those primarily being under the intoxicant of some sort of a drug.
"And again, yes, that is concerning.
"So, the message may be getting across a little bit around the alcohol and not driving under the influence of alcohol.
"But drugs have the same impact on your body. Drugs actually impact on your body and your system for a longer period of time and take longer to wear off than alcohol does.
"So, people need to be aware that, first of all, they should not be taking illegal drugs in the 1st place because that actually feeds into the whole organised crime and funding organised crime activity and issues like that.
"But they also put themselves at danger, put anybody else they have in the car with them at danger and also put other road users at danger as well."
Supt Geraghty said that as part of the road Christmas campaign, so far in December, there have been over 5,500 checkpoints across the country.
"And again, people will very, very quickly say, oh, well, I haven't come across a checkpoint or haven't seen a speed checkpoint.
"But the reality is those 444 drivers so far this December who have been arrested for driving while intoxicated, the chances are they have told very, very few people that they were arrested.
"Again, it's not something to be proud of. They're facing court cases.
"So, An Garda Síochána are out in strength.
"We will be on the roads again today as part of the National Slowdown Day with our partners in GoSafe enforcing speed limits.
"And I suppose while we would understand and appreciate, the vast majority of drivers are actually very, very compliant and do a really, really good job in trying to keep our roads safe.
"But there is a significant cohort of drivers out there who, as we have already said, do not listen.
"Do not think it's going to happen to them. A, that they will be stopped by and maybe prosecuted. But more concerningly, do not think that they're going to be the one that may be involved in that serious injury road traffic collision or that fatal road traffic collision.
"Nobody's getting up this morning to go out and get involved in a fatal road traffic collision, but they do happen and everybody needs to take care on our roads this Christmas", he said.
Appeal for drivers to take personal responsibility
Meanwhile, Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien has appealed to drivers to take personal responsibility on the roads over the Christmas period.
Speaking at a garda briefing, he said 186 people have lost their lives so far this year devastating their families and communities.
He appealed to people to work together so no more lives are lost on the roads this year.
Assistant Garda Commissioner Catharina Gunne said people need to respect their own lives and the lives of other road users.
She said people should never drive under the influence of drink or drugs and they should think twice and not speed.
She appealed to people to plan their journeys and take their time over the Christmas period.
CEO of the Road Safety Authority Sam Waide said it was really important that people slow down and be aware of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
He said vulnerable road users need to given space and respect on the roads.
Mr Waide also said distracted driving is one of the causes of serious injuries and fatalities.
He said there was no excuse for using a mobile phone while driving and he said drivers should put their phone away while driving.
Hundreds more safety camera zones to operate from January
A total of 390 new safety camera zones will become operational from 1 January 2026, bringing the total number of safety camera zones nationwide to 1,901.
Safety cameras operate in areas where there is a history of speed-related collisions known as speed enforcement zones.
All zones are available on An Garda Síochána's website.
