Gardaí step up road safety crackdown for October bank holiday weekend

So far this year, 138 people have died in road traffic collisions in Ireland. File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are carrying out a traffic enforcement operation throughout the October bank holiday weekend, running from today until 7am on Tuesday, October 28.

On-duty gardaí will focus on enforcing speed limits, detecting impaired driving, and ensuring compliance with mobile phone and seat belt laws.

Bank holiday weekends are among the busiest times on Irish roads and carry a higher risk of collisions.

So far this year, 138 people have died in road traffic collisions in Ireland.

Gardaí and the RSA are urging motorists to use dipped headlights during the day, especially if their vehicles lack daytime running lights.

Pedestrians and cyclists are also being advised to wear high-visibility clothing to stay clearly visible in darker conditions.

Statistics show a consistent rise in pedestrian injuries between October and December each year. Of the fatalities recorded so far this year, 29 were pedestrians.

Data from 2020–2024 shows 1,462 pedestrians sustained serious injuries in road traffic collisions, with over one-third (34%) occurring between October and December.

The data also indicates that 21% of pedestrians involved in these incidents failed to observe properly.

Further findings from the RSA show:

• A 64% increase in serious pedestrian injuries between 2021 and 2022.
• Four in ten serious pedestrian injuries occurred in Dublin.
• Head and lower limb injuries were most common, with patients spending an average of 11 days in hospital.
• Between 2020 and 2024, 1,384 pedestrians were hospitalised after collisions. Of these, 418 (30%) sustained clinically serious injuries, often with long-term consequences.
• Two-thirds of those seriously injured were male, and one-third were aged 65 or older.

Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Seán Canney, said: “No matter how we travel, we need to protect ourselves and each other. Light up your vehicle; wear high visibility clothing; adjust your speed for the road and weather conditions; and never drive distracted or intoxicated."