Gardaí in Clare seized a number of vehicles and made one arrest during an operation to detect and educate road users in relation to road safety and the dangers of modifying cars over the legal limit.
Members of the Divisional Roads Policing Unit made the detections on Saturday last as part of Operation Curb details of which were confirmed this morning.
Each car was seized under either Section 20 of the Road Traffic Act or Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act. A Garda public service vehicle inspector (PSV) examined the cars. The cars were seized to check if they had been modified in such a way that they posed a danger to themselves and other road users.
A total of ten cars were examined by the PSV inspector, four of which were found to be dangerously defective. One car, which has recently failed its NCT more than once, was found to have a major defect with its steering rod whilst another car had oversized wheels which would hit the wheel arch when turning.
This affects steering and braking and also causes excessive wear and tear on the tyres. It also causes spray and debris to be thrown back onto following vehicles.
One driver, a man aged in his 20s, was also arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. A roadside drugs test was carried out which indicated positive for the presence of cocaine. The man was brought to Ennis Garda Station and a file will be prepared for the DPP.
The other six modified cars detained for inspection were found to have minor issues. Gardaí educated the drivers on the relevant legislation and safety aspects and no further action was taken.
Speaking at Ennis Garda Station, Inspector Paul Slattery said “One of the cars we have seized during this operation was dangerously defective and I have no doubt this could have caused serious injury or even death if allowed to continue on the roads.
Educating drivers about what is allowed and what’s not is a key part of Operation Curb. Our Roads Policing Unit are always available to talk to drivers if they are thinking of modifying their car so that they are compliant with road traffic legislation,” Inspector Slattery added.
The drivers of the four cars will be dealt with by way of summons.