Nine serious injury collisions and one road death over Bank Holiday weekend, gardaí confirm

Nine serious injury collisions and one road death occurred over the Bank Holiday weekend, An Garda Síochána has confirmed. 

An extensive Garda Roads Policing Operation was in place between 7am on Thursday May 2 to 7am yesterday morning May 7. 

The single road death brings the total death count in 2024 up to 71, an increase of 15 lives lost compared to the same period last year. 

The serious injury collisions which occurred between Thursday and Tuesday have resulted in ten people receiving serious and life threatening injuries. 

Over 5,000 roadside drug and alcohol tests were conducted by gardaí during the period, leading to the arrest of 196 people driving under the influence of an intoxicant. 

According to An Garda Síochána, that's one arrest during each hour of our enforcement operation. 

Throughout the weekend, Gardaí detected over 900 drivers for speeding offences while out on Irish roads using hand held speed detection technology.

Notable top speeds detected include 81km/h in a 50km/h zone on the N61 at Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon, 127km/h in a 60km/h zone on the R188 near Doocassan, Co. Cavan, 136km/h in an 80km/h zone along the R731 at Rathnure, Co. Wexford, and 153km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N11 Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. 

Over 220 Fixed Charge Offences were given out for using mobile phones, as well as 100 for not wearing seatbelts. 

One hundred and seventy fines were issued to unaccompanied learner drivers. 

Gardaí also seized a total 613 vehicles for a range of road traffic offences under Section 41 of the Roads Traffic Act.

Chief Superintendent, Jane Humphries of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said, "The vast majority of road users supported our operation over the long weekend to keep people safe, but it is of real concern that almost 200 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence.

"There is only so many ways that we can say this and we won’t be polite about it – never, never, ever get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of drink or drugs. Any day, any time.

"The financial penalty, prospect of losing your licence or criminal offence and time in prison might not be enough of a deterrent to some but the potential of causing serious and/or fatal injuries to yourself as well as others should be enough to stop you."