Driver of vehicle driven the wrong way down the M9 in Kilkenny was a ‘tired, older driver’

Gardaí said the incident starts a conversation about who shouldn’t use motorways

The driver of a vehicle driven the wrong way down the M9 in Co Kilkenny on Sunday night had no “malicious” intent, but was just a “tired older driver”, gardaí have confirmed.

Thomastown and Kilkenny gardaí responded to reports of a vehicle driving the wrong way on the M9, south of Danesfort.

The driver safely left the motorway and restarted his trip on the correct side before gardaí came across the man parked on the hard shoulder.

There were no collisions and the “tired older driver was safely escorted off the carriageway”.

Gardaí said most incidents of this nature have “no malicious intent” but come to pass “when either tourists (a small percentage) or drivers less able for the challenge of motorway driving use the network”.

In a statement on social media, Kilkenny gardaí said the incident starts a conversation about who shouldn’t use motorways.

“For those of us, possibly in the autumn of our driving career, are the particular challenges of a higher speed road, without usable hard shoulders, always the best option?” asked a garda spokesperson.

“This is not ageist, indeed there are 90-year-olds who have exceptional reflexes and driving ability, but there are conversely those that may have lost some of their sparkle behind the wheel.

“Similarly, L drivers may not use motorways and people who are tired expose themselves and other road users to even greater risks” when they use motorways.

The spokesperson added that there still exists the regional and national primary routes “which for some should be the option elected for”.