€50,000 Weather Stations Destroyed By Vandals

Eight weather stations, costing almost €50,000 each, have been destroyed by vandals who mistook them for speed cameras.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) said that eight road weather information systems have been badly damaged or destroyed in the past year, two of which were vandalised in recent weeks, warning that motorists' lives were being put at risk because of the destruction.

That is because they are used by a number of different state agencies, including the NRA, gardai and local authorities, to decide what roads need to be gritted during sub-zero temperatures and to alert the public to potential problems.

The systems were not used to monitor vehicles or record speeds.

"The latest attack was in the last month, and two more traffic counters have been damaged more recently where the batteries were taken and the boxes smashed," spokesman Sean O'Neill said

"It's unacceptable it's being destroyed by criminals. These geniuses destroying them are making road conditions more dangerous for themselves and their loved ones."

The number of 'road weather information systems' has been increased from 55 to 83 over the past two years. They provide each local authority with detailed information to manage adverse weather conditions.

Many of the stations include a camera which counts traffic volumes and records road temperatures, and roads chiefs believe motorists may have mistaken them for speed cameras.

(H)