Bank holiday road deaths bring 2024’s total to 58
Than Seen Offences Bank Far Occurred With Safety Holiday 100 As Deaths Driving Drug Arrests Campaign, Which Has The Gardaí Continue Road More So And Their For Drink
The Easter bank holiday weekend marked another tragic chapter on the country’s roads, with three people losing their lives in separate incidents.
The latest deaths bring the number of road users to die so far this year to 58.
In Kildare, a cyclist in his 60s died after colliding with a car. The accident happened in Knocknagee, close to Carlow town on Sunday morning. The man’s body was removed to Naas General Hospital for an autopsy.
A few hours earlier, in Mayo, a 17-year-old pedestrian died after he was struck by a car on the N17.
The incident happened at around 9.20pm on Saturday, and the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was removed to Mayo University Hospital.
His death comes just days after a mother and her two daughters were killed on the same stretch of road, close to Claremorris, Co Mayo.
The funeral of Una Bowden and Ciara, 14, and Saoirse, 9, — who died when their car collided with a truck last Tuesday — will take place on Wednesday in Donegal.
A 37-year-old mother of one was killed after the car she was travelling in was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Tipperary on Friday.
She was named locally as Claire Kavanagh, a native of Carrick-on-Suir.
The deaths occurred as gardaí continue with their bank holiday road safety campaign, which has so far seen more than 100 arrests for drink and drug driving offences.
The road safety blitz, which began at 7am on Thursday, will continue until 7am on Tuesday.
The minister with responsibility for road safety Jack Chambers has expressed his condolences to those who died in recent days, and said he is working to reduce the number of fatalities on the country’s roads.
Mr Chambers told the he is concerned about insufficient numbers of gardaí assigned to road policing units, and has “repeatedly” raised the matter with both Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
Mr Chambers wants to see road policing units beefed up.
Greater numbers will ensure there is an “increased perception of enforcement among motorists”, he said.
Mr Chambers also flagged concerns about “worrying trends” in driver behaviour, saying recent polling shows more and more drivers think it is acceptable to drink and drive.
A recent Behaviour and Attitudes poll found one in 10 respondents admitted to driving after having at least one drink in the last year.
Of those who admitted to drink-driving, 28% admitted to having more than two drinks. 13% said that they would be fit to drive after three or more drinks.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said it is of “huge concern” that Ireland is seeing a reversal of long-term progress in reducing road deaths.
“2023 was the worst year for fatalities on our roads since 2014, and 2024 is currently on course to be worse again — including recent tragedies. Every death on our roads is one too many.”