Ireland has one of the worst records in Europe for reducing road deaths, according to a study published today.
The ETSC is expected to rank Ireland seventh from bottom in a league of 25 member states.
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) ranks countries in order of their success in adhering to a commitment in 2000 to halve road deaths within a decade.
Ireland is seventh from the bottom in the list of 27 countries having only reduced road deaths by just over 3 per cent between 2001 and 2005.
The Republic is accompanied at the end of the list by Poland where deaths only fell by 1.63 per cent. The situation was only worse in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Malta and Lithuania where road crash-related deaths have actually increased between 2001 and 2005.
According to Garda figures, 276 people have died on the State's roads so far this year, almost exactly the same figure as for 2005.
The top performer in the EU is France, which has cut road deaths by 35 per cent. Luxembourg and Belgium have cut road deaths by 34 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively.
Labour Party spokeswoman on Transport Roisin Shortall said political will to implement reforms was key to cutting road deaths. "However, given the lackadaisical attitude of Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats towards prioritising this vital issue, it seems we may have to wait for a change of Government before action is taken."