Gardai will target a number of rural roads on the Bank Holiday weekend in an effort to remind the public to slow down.
The aim of "Slow Down Day”, which is taking place in the run up to the October Bank Holiday weekend, is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, to increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.
The overall objective is to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.
International research has estimated that 30% of fatal collisions are the result of speeding or inappropriate speed.
While An Garda Síochána will be focusing its enforcement activity across all speed limit zones, there will be a focus on rural roads.
This is because almost 4 out of 5 (78%)* fatalities to date this year have occurred on rural roads. These are roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or above.
Five people have been killed and 59 people seriously injured in October Bank Holiday collisions between 2016-2020
As of Tuesday, there have been 113 people killed on Irish roads so far this year as a result of 102 fatal collisions.
Superintendent Thomas Murphy, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, An Garda Síochána said: "We are asking all drivers to support our National ‘Slow Down’ Day not just on ‘Slow Down Day’ but every day.
"If we all slow down a little, we can make a big difference.
"A 1% reduction in average speed will bring about a 4% reduction in fatal collisions, and therefore reducing motorists’ speed is essential to improving road safety.”
Mr Sam Waide, CEO of the Road Safety Authority said: "The faster you drive, the more likely you are to be involved in a collision which could result in death or serious injury. This is particularly true for vulnerable road users. If hit at 60km/h 9 out of 10 pedestrians will be killed. Hit at 30km/h 9 out of 10 will survive.”
