'National slow down day' as Gardaí discourage speeding

Today is "national slow down day".

Gardaí and The Road Safety Authority are urging motorists to watch their speed on this - the most dangerous weekend of the year.

Figures show a consistent number of fatal collisions over the June Bank Holiday.

Road death figures continue to rise, with 74 people killed so far this year, that's one more life lost compared to this time last year.

Brian Farrell, Communications Manager with the RSA, says speed can be the difference between life and death in a crash:

"If hit at 60kph, nine out of ten pedestrians will die - if hit at 50kph, they have a 50-50 chance of survival, and at lower speeds, obviously, that improves greatly."

"So slow down, please - remember, using the roads is the most dangerous thing we do, and particularly at bank holiday weekends."