The main responsibility of Garda Roads Policing is to significantly reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injuries and improve road safety. An Garda Síochána's Traffic Mission Statement is to develop a national culture of safe road use.
The Garda National Roads Policing Bureau (GNRPB) was established in 1997 to formulate policy and oversee traffic policing throughout the state. The Bureau is headed by Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan and is based at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park.
Roads Policing Units are based in each Garda Division enforce the policies developed by GNRPB. The 2 key factors in policy formulation are:
- Prioritised enforcement
- Traffic management
Enforcement is almost entirely a Garda function while traffic management is a shared responsibility between An Garda Síochána and other agencies.
The Garda Roads Policing Unit is dedicated to the enforcement of road traffic legislation and also to assisting the free flow of traffic. The first Roads Policing Unit (formally Traffic Corps) was established in Dublin in 1953 and was extended nationwide in 1973. The current strength stands at 640 Garda members as of December 2017.
Breakdown of Road Traffic Statistics are available by clicking on each of the following links:
Traffic Statistics for 2017
Traffic Statistics for 2016
Traffic Statistics for 2015
Traffic Statistics for 2014
Previous Years Statistics
For traffic related incidents please contact your local Garda Station by telephone or email, or alternatively the Traffic Watch scheme.