Gardai are warning motorists to mind their speed on the roads this Friday with a National Slow Down Day in progress.
Officers from traffic units countrywide will be out in force from 7am on Friday morning until the same time on Saturday.
So far this year 137 people have died on Irish roads, an increase in nine from the same period of 2019.
The aim of National Slow Down Day is to make the roads safer and reduce fatalities.
A garda spokesperson said: "As part of our Christmas Campaign to improve Road Safety, An Garda Síochána will conduct a National Speed Enforcement Operation "Slow Down”, for a 24 hour period from 07.00hrs on Friday 11th December to 07.00hrs on Saturday 12th December 2020.
"The aim of 'Slow Down Day' is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, 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. In 2019 there were 140 road deaths – this is 140 too manySo far in 2020 there have been 137 road fatalities, an increase of 9 on this date last year."
