By Andy Spearman

One hundred and seventy four people lost their lives in road traffic collisions on Irish roads in 2024, that’s the highest figure in ten years and there have been two road deaths already in the first week of 2025.

This morning I was nearly run off the road at Gormanston by a speeding driver thinking it was funny to swerve in front of me as I tried to make my way on to the main road.

Whilst this idiot was carrying out his ludicrous antics, and as he sped off at a ridiculous speed, yet another ice warning was being broadcast on the car radio.

Thankfully the vast majority of drivers show some level of courtesy to other road users but the standard of driving seems to be dropping with every passing year.

So it comes as no surprise that, in their Christmas Road Safety Campaign, which ran from November 29th 2024 to January 6th 2025, the Gardaí have reported 17 road fatalities and 85 serious collisions that resulted in a number of people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

During the course of the operation, An Garda Síochána carried out over 9,973 checkpoints, both statutory Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) and regular, high-visibility policing checkpoints. 939 people were arrested during this period for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (alcohol and drugs).

Approximately 13,573 drivers were detected for speeding offences by An Garda Síochána and Mobile Safety Camera Vans by their Road Safety Partners, GoSafe.

Some of the ridiculous speeds recorded included someone driving at 203km/hr in a 120km/hr zone on the M1, another doing 121km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the N52 and someone else caught doing 144km/hr in a 60km/hr zone on the N11.

Some 2,636 vehicles were seized by Gardaí for a range of offences under the Road Traffic Act, 1961 and 1,311 Fixed Charge Notices were issued for the offence of using a mobile phone while driving.

This New Year period is extremely busy on Irish roads. It is also one of the periods during which road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.

An Garda Síochána is appealing to all those who will be taking to the roads over the New Year period and as people return to home and to work at the end of the week and early next week to slow down, take extra care and to give your driving your full attention.