Dublin is overtaken as capital of gridlock

Galway topped the gridlock poll with 37pc of all roads clogged -- with Dublin and Limerick coming in a close second and third.

The study, conducted by sat nav experts TomTom, found it was also bad news for those living in Cork, Waterford and Drogheda.

Motorists around Castlebar, Killarney and Kildare were the least stressed and face a much happier experience on the roads as they were ranked eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.

The table has been compiled by the Dutch-based navigation firm and is calculated on how fast cars can travel on a particular city road network.

Their movement is monitored and measured by the anonymous speed data it collects every day from the 1.8 million drivers who use its devices worldwide.

quickest

Announcing the findings in conjunction with the launch of LIVE traffic services in Ireland, TomTom's David Crotty highlighted the need for a more up-to-date information system.

"Navigation isn't just about getting from A to B anymore, it's about finding the quickest and easiest route to your destination.

"The recent launch of HD traffic in Ireland will ensure sat nav drivers will be able to find a faster route through the traffic and without penalty points -- even if they live in Galway," he said.

Meanwhile, a fleet of privately owned speed cameras will target 1,500 spots on Irish roads from Monday. Warning signs will be erected to tell motorists that these new mobile "safety cameras" will be likely to be in operation in any of the 1,500 'speed enforcement zones' nationwide.

The zones are chosen because of past collisions, or where 85pc of vehicles are known to regularly reach or breach speed limits.

hnews@herald.ie