Gardaí are appealing to all road users to avoid distractions and pay attention when driving, cycling or walking.
Figures released by gardaí show that 126 people have been killed on the roads so far this year, which is an increase of 24 on the same period last year. Four lives have been lost on Donegal roads to date in 2023. One fifth of all those deaths occurred in August. One third of those who have died in road accidents this year were under the age of 25.
Superintendent Tom Murphy of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that his “message today is for all road users, whether they be vehicles, bicycles or pedestrians, take responsibility for your own actions when using the road or the footpath”.
He appealed to people to avoid distractions and slow down.
There have been 116 fatal road traffic crashes in Ireland this year, which have resulted in the death of 126 people.
Those killed include 44 motorists, 30 passengers, 29 pedestrians, 17 motorcyclists, three cyclists and three e-scooter users.
Supt Murphy said that everyone has a responsibility to ensure their own safety and insisted that gardaí are playing their part.
Officers are on active patrol 24/7, he said, and this is borne out by the fact that more than 100,000 speeding detections and more than 5,000 drink and drugs driving detections have been made so far this year, which “are some of the life-saver offences”.
