Motorway checkpoints aren't illegal and will become more regular for road safety

Gardai have insisted that checkpoints on motorways are not illegal - and will become more regular in the future.

But Garda bosses insisted that such checkpoints are perfectly legal and justified for road safety - and have been carried out in recent months on the M9, M7, M8, M4, M1 as well as the M50.

An insider told KildareNow: "The stops are legal and are a necessary part of the overall road safety campaign. "There has been good co-operation from motorists and such checkpoints will continue into the future. "Checkpoints are usually carried out during off-peak hours and structured to have minimum impact on traffic flows."

Tuesday's checkpoint on the M9 seized six vehicles for no insurance while one drunk driver was also detected.

Numerous Department of Social Protection follow-ups will also be carried out after drivers and passengers were interviewed about their social welfare entitlements.

In addition, a mini-bus which was found to be defective and seized while one HGV was found to be exceeding the weight limits by more than 15 tonnes.

Garda bosses also believe that a minority of motorists try to avoid officers by mostly driving on motorways where they don't expect to get stopped.