A driver towing a livestock trailer was brought to a “speedy” halt by members of An Garda Síochána based in Cork in recent days.
The driver in question was found to be travelling at a speed of 119kph – nearly 40kph more than the legal limit for road-users towing a trailer.
Taking to Twitter, An Garda Síochána said:
“Glanmire Garda were conducting speed checks on the M8 near Cork City when they found this car and trailer travelling at 119kph.
“The max speed for a towed trailer is 80kph.
“A Fixed Charge Penalty Notice was issued. Proceedings to follow,” the Garda tweet added.
RSA driver advice
According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), road-users towing trailers are warned:
“Remember that the maximum speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer is 80kph – and this also applies on roads where the posted road sign speed limit is higher.
“As always, drivers are subject to the lowest posted speed sign so it will not always be possible to travel at 80kph,” the RSA added.
“Remember that your vehicle will handle differently when you’re towing a trailer, especially when the trailer is loaded. Therefore, you need to take special care and drive more defensively, anticipating the effect of the trailer.
“For example, you need to ask yourself has your stopping distance increased – in most cases, the answer will be yes,” the RSA concluded.