Seven die in weekend road carnage
The death toll so far this year stands at 173, 13 down on the same period in 2002.
But gardaí say motorists are getting back to their bad old habits, and this has been reflected by a increasing number of deaths in recent months.
For the first two months of the year, road deaths were well below average, following the introduction of penalty points by Transport Minister Séamus Brennan.
But since March, 131 people have lost their lives, 11 more than in the comparable period last year.
"We will need a lot of time to evaluate the full impact of penalty points. But people are now becoming more careless and reverting back to bad habits," a garda spokesman said.
Gardaí in Co Clare have interviewed a woman in relation to the hit and run death of Danny Glynn, 37.
The body of Mr Glynn, from Cill Cais in Shannon, was discovered at around 2.20am yesterday on the roadside near a school in the town.
Gardaí believe he was struck by a car and then dragged for almost a mile.
The father of one, who lived in Shannon with his partner, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is thought his body may have been there for at least half an hour before being discovered.
A number of hours later a local woman went to Shannon garda station where she was interviewed.
"The woman was not arrested but did make a statement with regard to the incident.
"There was a second person in the vehicle and we will be taking a statement from him also," Inspector Tom Kennedy said.
On Saturday, two men, both aged 20 and from Co Donegal, died after the car in which they were travelling collided with a van in Co Fermanagh.
The accident happened at 5.30pm near Enniskillen.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokeswoman said both men were passengers in the car.
They were named as Brian Harvey from Inver, Co Donegal and Gavin Lyons from Drimark, Donegal Town.
A 33-year-old Co Louth man died shortly before midnight on Saturday when the car he was driving struck a wall at Jenkinstown, Dundalk.
The dead man was named as Donal Doherty from Ravensdale, Dundalk.
Meanwhile, gardaí at Myshall, Co Carlow are investigating the death of a motorcyclist who was killed in a collision with a car on Saturday.
The victim has been named locally as Andy O'Brien of Myshall.
Mr O'Brien died at the scene of the accident, which happened at Shangarry, Myshall, at 5.50pm. Driving conditions were good at the time.
The dead man, a motorcycle enthusiast who worked in a fitted kitchen business in Bunclody, Co Wexford, leaves a wife and five children.
The car driver received minor injuries.
The two teenage girls who died after they were hit by a tractor and trailer in Avoca, Co Wicklow, were named as Stephanie McCawley, 15, from Lower Kilmagig, Avoca, and Vanessa Byrne, 13, of Station Road, Avoca.
The girls were walking with a bicycle when the accident happened shortly before 1pm on Saturday.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact them at 0404 60140.
