SPEEDING motorists are being detected by the PSNI at a rate of less than one a day in Fermanagh.

Figures released by the PSNI following a Freedom of Information request from this newspaper show that 395 speeding detections were made in the Fermanagh and Omagh Policing District between April 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018.

The highest recorded speed in Fermanagh and Omagh during the 11-month period was 119mph.

A detailed breakdown of where these detections were made reveals that almost two thirds occurred on Fermanagh roads.

Over the 334-day period from April 1, 2017 until February 28 this year, the PSNI detected 248 speeding motorists in Fermanagh – a rate of less than one a day.

In the Omagh area, just 147 motorists were detected speeding over the same period.

Appearing before Fermanagh Magistrates Court this week were two drivers who had exceeded 100mph.

One was caught doing 119mph at the A4 road, outside Maguiresbridge, on January 29 this year, while the other was driving at 101mph on Ballagh Road, Fivemiletown on February 11.

The statistics released by the PSNI reveal that the A4 road, outside Maguiresbridge, is Fermanagh’s speeding ‘hotspot’.

At least 38 motorists were detected speeding along this busy stretch of the main Belfast road over the 11 months covered by the figures, by some distance the largest amount stopped at any one location.

Other ‘hotspots’ for speeding include the Moorlough Road, Newtownbutler, the Killadeas Road, Lisnarick, Main Street, Derrylin and the A4 road, outside Lisbellaw.

Meanwhile, in the various roads around the Enniskillen area, over 40 motorists were detected speeding.

In response to the figures revealing the number of speeding detections in Fermanagh and Omagh, PSNI Chief Inspector Clive Beatty said that road safety continued to be a “key priority” for the police.

He said: “The stark reality is that inappropriate speed for the conditions is consistently one of the main causes of serious collisions on roads here.”

The Chief Inspector said that, tragically, nine people had already lost their lives on Northern Ireland’s roads so far this year.

“Road safety is a key priority for police and we will continue to work closely with our An Garda Síochána Traffic Corps colleagues in the border areas, specifically looking for road users taking unnecessary and potentially life-changing risks,” he said.

The Chief Inspector said that police would continue to focus on reducing collisions on roads.

“Whether you are a driver, a motorcyclist, a pedestrian or a cyclist, look out for other road users because we all share the roads and the responsibility for road safety,” he said.