December 20 most dangerous day on roads

Motorists are being urged to drive with extra caution today as December 20 has been identified as the most dangerous day of the year on Irish roads.

Hibernian Insurance said that data on road accidents showed that today is statistically the date on which motorists are most likely to be involved in a crash.

The company has attributed the increased risk to the high levels of traffic on the roads in the run-up to the festive period.

It said insurance claims relating to accidents in the week before Christmas were usually around 40% above the average level for the rest of the year.