More than 100 people killed on roads this year

Twenty-one people died on Irish roads in July, the highest monthly figure so far this year.

Two of those deaths took place over the August bank holiday weekend.

A total of 108 people died on Irish roads up to the end of July, according to the Garda traffic statistics for 2016, compared with 90 people during the same period last year.

Gardaí set up checkpoints over the past weekend as the number of road users increased.

Last week, nine people died in road traffic incidents across Kildare, Clare, Meath and Donegal.

Figures from the gardaí show 10 people were also injured in a three-car pile-up in Kilkenny over the weekend.

There were eight serious road traffic incidents this weekend, up from three compared with the same time last year.

Chief Supt Aidan Reid appealed to every road user to take extra care on the roads.

“Realise you have a personal responsibility when you get behind the wheel. Slow down, wear your seatbelt, put the mobile away and in particular, never ever drink and drive,” he said.

Drink-driving

The Garda said 165 people were caught drink-driving over the bank holiday weekend.

“These people show total disregard for their own lives and the lives of other road users but it also shows considerable Garda activity, which will continue into August with more targeted operations,” he said.

Drink-driving arrests for July are up 18 per cent compared with July 2015.

Chief Supt Reid urged passengers to “never allow themselves to be carried in a car where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs”.

Of the 108 people killed on our roads up to the end of July, 24 were passengers.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Cahir Garda station, Co Tipperary, are investigating a single vehicle fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the R687 (Poulmucka to Barne Road) at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.

A man in his 20s was fatally injured when the car he was driving left the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

This stretch of road is closed in order to facilitate an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and local diversions are in place.

Gardaí wish to appeal for witnesses who may have travelled this stretch of road between 1.15pm and 1.40pm to contact Cahir Garda station on 052-7445630, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line at 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.