Gardaí have urged all road users to stay safe this Bank Holiday weekend, as a specialised nationwide roads policing operation begins today (Thursday, 22 October).
The enforcement operation will continue until next Tuesday, 27 October, tackling lifesaver road traffic offences such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, holding a mobile phone while driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
A spokesperson said that Gardaí are urging the public to take extra care and be particularly mindful of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians.
“Bank holiday weekends are among the busiest periods on Irish roads. They are also among the periods where road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added: “As the clocks go back an hour this Sunday, meaning less daylight hours, An Garda Síochána reminds all road users to ensure they are visible. Drivers are encouraged to use dipped headlights during the day, particularly if their vehicle does not have daytime running lights”.
Gardaí are advising pedestrians and cyclists to wear high-visibility clothing to make sure they are clearly visible during darker evenings.
According to research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA), from the period of 2021- 2025, an average of 36 pedestrians are killed on Irish roads every year, while an average of 336 pedestrians are seriously injured every year.
The data also shows that 25% of pedestrians that were killed on our roads during this period were aged 75 or over. This contrasts against figures showing 33% of pedestrians who were seriously injured were aged 25 or younger.
The RSA figures additionally show that fatalities and serious injuries to pedestrians increased consistently from autumn to winter. In total, an average of 38% of pedestrians were killed and 33% were seriously injured during the October to December period between 2021 and 2025.
A total of 151 people have lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year, of which 29 were pedestrians.
At the launch of this weekend’s specialised roads policing operation, Gardai revealed that between January and August of this year, there has been a nationwide increase in detections of all four lifesaver offences, compared to the same period in 2025.
There was an increase in the following detections by Gardaí across the country:
- 55% increase in the number of speed detections.
- 17% increase in people detected using mobiles phones while driving.
- 9% increase in the number of people detected driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- 3% increase in people detected not wearing seatbelts.
Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing and Community Engagement, Denis Ferry, said: “As the long evenings draw in, we’re asking all road users to be mindful of each other over the October bank holiday weekend. This is a busy time of the year with the start of the school mid-term break, when many people attend Hallowe’en-themed events”.
“Motorists need to be aware of those walking on our streets and roads, and pedestrians should make sure they’re visible, especially as daylight time decreases. As the seasonal weather changes, we remind motorists to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate for the driving conditions. We urge motorists to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to wear your seatbelt and put away any distractions while driving such as mobile phones,” he concluded.
