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GARDAÍ HAVE APPEALED to road users to take extra care over the New Year period, after eight people died on Irish roads over Christmas.
There were 18 serious collisions on Irish roads between 20 December and 29 December, gardaí said, resulting in eight fatalities and 20 people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.
In total, there have been 15 fatalities on Irish roads so far this month.
Gardaí carried out over 2,500 checkpoints between 20 December and 29 December.
A total of 268 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“Unfortunately and really disappointingly, 74 people alone were arrested this weekend [28-29 December] for driving whilst intoxicated,” Chief Superintendent in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, Jane Humphries, said at a press conference in Dublin this morning.
“That is an incredible risk that people are taking on our roads,” she said.
If you have a collision on our roads whilst under the influence, it is no accident. It is a deliberate act that you have taken, and I think that drivers need to ask themselves the question, what does that say about you as a person?
Over 3,750 drivers were detected for speeding offences, while 550 vehicles were seized for a range of offences under the Road Traffic Act.
“It’s important to remember that it’s not just excessive speed. Any speed is a danger. If you have a collision, that simply means that you are not able to stop on time, that you are not able to stop for an emergency,” Humphries said.
To date this year, 178 people have lost their lives in road traffic collisions on Irish roads.
Humphries said the roads over the New Year period are “very busy”.
“People are now coming and going from family and friends. As we prepare to get back to work next week, it’s really important that you realise that we’re hitting a period of high risk on our roads, and that you take extra care and that you really do pay attention while you’re driving.”
Humphries also encouraged passengers who are in a car being driven by someone showing “risky behaviour”, such as not looking at the road or using their phone, to “call them out”.
“If you’re a passenger in a car of someone who is intoxicated, you have to call them out. Do not let them take that risk with your life and with others, because you are giving them permission to do so by getting into the car with them,” Humphries said.
“It’s too serious a risk. If you drive whilst distracted, it’s the same as driving by blindfolded on the road,” she said.
“Sometimes people will say, rather than calling them out, you’re calling them in. You’re actually preventing them from causing that risk on the road, and it is difficult because you are talking about calling in your friends and family, and those are difficult conversations that we all need to have.”
She also said that it’s important that road users remember that driving a car is “probably the most dangerous thing that you will do”.
“You’re driving a ton of metal. Although you may think you’re well protected, reality has shown us that that’s not always the case.”
On 19 December, a male cyclist died after being struck by a lorry in Castleknock, Dublin 15.
Derek Doyle, aged in his 50s, worked as an usher in Leinster House after he previously served in positions in the Defence Forces, the Ministerial Air Transport Service and the Irish Aer Corps. He was the husband of Fingal County councillor Tania Doyle.
On 21 December, 21-year-old Marguerita O’Rourke (née Sheridan) died in a hit-and-run incident in Rathkeale, Co Limerick. A man has appeared in court charged with dangerous driving causing her death.
On 22 December, a man in his 30s died following a single-vehicle collision in Moorock, Co Offaly.
On 26 December, a married couple were struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident Blanchardstown, Dublin. Georgina Hogg Moore (39) was pronounced dead at the scene while Anthony Hogg (40) was rushed to hospital, but died later that night.
A man has appeared in court charged in connection with the incident.
On 27 December, a pedestrian in her 70s died after being struck by a car while walking in Rathcrogue, Co Carlow.
A 57-year old man died on 27 December after being struck by a car in Navan, Co Meath.
On 29 December, a woman in her 80s died following a collision near Kilrush in Co Clare. The woman, who was the driver and sole occupant of one of the vehicles, was pronounced dead at the scene.
With reporting by Andrew Walsh
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When I was young, a bit of good weather was something to be enjoyed.
But when you open up this site, the minute there’s a bit of sunshine, all you’re told is floods, lightning, and forest fires.
These leftists in the Journal can find joy in nothing.
Misery and degeneracy are hardwired into their brains.
@Marjory: This is one of truest comments ever in the Journal. Well done Marjory. Life is too short for moaning.
@Marjory: News outlets report facts. You can always choose not to read them if they upset you. Should floods and forest fires not be reported? Should weather forecasts be banned?
@Brendan O’Brien: that’s NOT what she means. Way to go to misconstrue her comment
@Marjory: there was no mention of floods and lightening the last few days as there was no risk of them happening. Today, according to this article, there is a risk of floods and lightening in the west. It’s called a weather forecast, and thunder storms, when appropriate, have been part of the forecast for as long as I can remember
@Brendan O’Brien: I’d forgotten how naive people can be.
Thanks for the reminder.
@Des Daly: You don’t think it’s a tad excessive to claim that ‘Misery and degeneracy are hardwired into their brains’ (with reference to Journal reporters)? How would she know about the ‘degeneracy’?
Looks like an extremist rant to me.
@Brendan O’Brien: & let’s face it …’ extremist rants’ are brennys forte, lol
@Marjory: Lol! Left/right dummies… You literally don’t HAVE to read anything :’ )
@Des Daly: ” twisting and deflection” is brennys stock- in- trade in fairness
@Buster Lawless: What does ‘in fairness’ even mean in this context?
I really don’t understand why people throw this useless phrase into their sentences. To me, it denotes an inability to think coherently.
Enjoy the sun everyone, and f u € k the begrudgers!!!
@Marjory:
The article: “Hey just be careful today cause there’s probably gonna be a thunderstorm even though the weather is nice! Be on the lookout because danger is possible, and you should be aware of it and make decisions with that in mind!”
You for some reason: “those goddamn leftists are taking my sunny days away”
@Marjory: ain’t here to give vocabulary lessons ol’ stock …. Google is your friend. Anyhow, you’re right bout’ this glorious weather —– ENJOY!!
@Des Daly: The only one who misconstrued anything is the OP. Talk about a rant ! The headline says THE FORECAST ” Hot weather in store again today, but there’s also ,annoyingly , a thunderstorm warning.” The very fact the word ‘ annoyingly ‘ was used contextualises that the hot weather is being enjoyed but may be disrupted. It’s incredulous the amount of trolls who get triggered by a weather forecast.. even when it’s bemoaning the possibility of disruption to good weather.
@Marjory: If weather forecasts upset you so much don’t read them.
Checked my own forecast, quite excited to hear there’s gonna be rain later in the day. I just really like hot days and then the rain comes falling down, it’s such a lovely feeling atmospherically (Also maybe I’ll be able to actually fall asleep.)
A little jealous of the thunderstorms, not super jealous of the risk of flooding.
@Fishlord “Fishlord_Username” Username: What’s with the able to sleep bit? In the winter people heat their bedrooms close to 20celsius (we don’t, we like warm feet and cold nose tips) so they can sleep. Yet the same temperature in summer prevents them from sleeping. That doesn’t make s ns. Or are your sleeping quarters overheating as your well insulated attic is “keeping the heat in”?
@Athena: the temperatures have hit nearly 30 degrees, that’s gonna cause sleeping issues for alot of people because we’re not used to that kind of heat, simples
@Athena: It’s humidity in summer rather than heat. Also in winter, people don’t leave their heating on all night, so it gets a lot cooler. And the temperature in our house yesterday evening was 26 degrees. We never heat our house close to that temperature in winter
@Tom O’ Donnell: But that’s what I mean. The house shouldn’t be 26 Celsius indoors. Modern house design (i.e. big window for a light and airy feeling), insulated attics, airtight rooms etc will sooner or later mandate air-conditioning, another demand led branch of industry, pushing more geared air out into an already heated environment.
Why aren’t houses build with roof overhangs, or roller shutters to produce shadow and keep heat out?
While our upstairs rooms (Midland location, 29.7 yesterday) were a “toasty” 18 Celsius, we enjoyed a good night’s sleep in a cool 14 Celsius downstairs room. No air conditioning, just an old house with thick walls and small windows, surrounded by shrubs, bushes, trees, built 130 years ago by people who understood the lay of the land and the environment.
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah…………
@Andrew Kenny: You’re quoting Cozy Powell?
@Brendan O’Brien: Wow Brendan, Cozy Powell, What a memory that is,Great Drummer
If people would only have listened to the green party we wouldn’t be in this boat. The extra taxes would have offset the weather patterns. People need to learn the war in Ukraine and gaza emissions there have little effect on the earth even highly populated countries like India and China. Its mary in the micra going to dunnes for the shopping when she could have walked around the emissions played a part. If she was taxed more she wouldn’t have used the car and less emissions hence less weather sinarios. Roderic and eamon are highly educated in such practices especially Roderic who invited the world in to INCREASE emissions, well done.
@Paddy C: people wouldn’t use cars as much if ireland had more reliable, cheap and well placed public transport. Taxation is great, especially to fund this cheap public transport, but I think the focus should really be on our infrastructure and how that influences human behaviour. And it has the benefit of better infrastructure.
I was in malta the last 10 days. Its actually as warm here.
@Brian Dunne: I hope you had a great time Brian,one of my fave places for holidays. Been 5 times,lovely friendly country
@Larry Betts: fantastic time Larry! Didnt get to that restaurant after, ran out if time. Did go by it on a choo choo train though and thought of you! Its a lovely place, our 3rd time there.
@Larry Betts: absolutely gorgeous……& Reasonable too……we went just before Christmas……. A beautiful Island/ great people
I love CO2 and its apparent results in these beautiful sunny days we are having.
Connaght?? Look at what the heat does.
have your say