Gardaí have appealed to people to prevent drink- and drug-drivers getting behind the wheel during the Christmas season, as road death numbers near 200 for 2025.
The force made the appeal as part of its Christmas road safety campaign which will continue until January 5th.
So far this year, there have been 189 deaths on Irish roads, the highest number in a decade. Over Christmas week, there were three deaths and eight serious collisions, resulting in multiple serious and life-threatening injuries.
Drug- and drink-driving is one of the primary drivers of death and injury on the roads.
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Over Christmas week, gardaí conducted 2,100 checkpoints and arrested 149 people for driving under the influence.
Forty-three per cent of these people were driving under the influence of narcotic drugs, both legal and illegal.
Speeding also continues to be a major issue. More than 4,600 drivers were detected speeding during Christmas week. They were detected by gardaí, static speed cameras and mobile road safety vans.
Speeding offences included a driver travelling at 118km/h in a 50km/h zone on the North Circular Road in Dublin and a driver travelling at 207km/h in a 100km/h zone in Ballinacurra, Co Limerick.
[ The worst fatal crashes on Irish roads in the past 20 yearsOpens in new window ]
“The Christmas period is one of the busiest 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,” the Garda said.
Supt Liam Geraghty of the Garda Press Office said there is a “very, very large minority” who are not listening to the message on road safety.
“But they also have family and friends and there is a responsibility on all of us to call out people carrying out this type of behaviour,” he said.
Most people know drivers who engage in risky behaviour, Supt Geraghty said. “If you are in a car with someone being distracted on their device, call it out.
“If you know somebody is taking drugs or alcohol, call them out. You might actually save their life.”
Road deaths declined slightly after the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. “What that does show us is we can reduce numbers. People can come together to make our roads safer. But there’s a lot of personal responsibility involved in this.”
In addition to speeding and driving under the influence offences, gardaí issued 150 fines for using a mobile phone while driving over Christmas week and 45 fines for failure to wear a seat belt.
More than 435 vehicles were seized for various road-traffic offences. About half of those were seized for failing to have insurance.
“This week, we enter another very, very busy period on our roads. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. There will be lots of people out socialising and travelling to meet friends and families who enjoy the celebrations,” Supt Geraghty said.
“We do not want to be knocking on anybody else’s door before the end of 2025 or at the start of 2026.”
