Motorists in Ireland must take steps “to reverse” an upward trend in fatal crashes and prevent more lives being lost on the State’s roads, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
Speaking after five people died in road incidents over the weekend, Mr Harris noted that 113 people had “now lost their lives on Irish roads this year – an increase of 16 in comparison to the same period last year”.
“As a country, we had made significant progress in reducing the number of people losing their lives on Irish roads in recent years. That progress is at risk. These are not statistics, they are lost lives and shattered families,” he said in a statement.
“We are now at a critical juncture. We must take steps – as individuals, as communities, as a country – to reverse the trend and prevent more lives being lost. Government will play its part and will take the necessary steps, but we need the help of every driver across the country.”
Speaking ahead of the August bank holiday weekend, he urged everyone to slow down, put the phone away and never ever take a drink or drugs before getting into a car”.
The annual total for road deaths in the State fell to 130 in 2021, albeit during the Covid-19 pandemic, but has risen sharply since. There were 155 fatalities in 2022 and 184 last year, with this year’s total on course to be higher again.
The latest fatal crash saw a man (20s) die following a single-vehicle crash in Co Meath on Sunday night. Gardaí and the emergency services responded to the incident on the R161 Trim-to-Navan road at Philpotstown shortly before 10pm.
The driver, who was travelling alone, was treated at the scene and brought by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where he was later pronounced dead.
Two men in their 30s had died earlier on Sunday after a crash involving three motorbikes in Co Meath. A motorcyclist and his pillion passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were named locally as Mark ‘Beaver’ Eager (38) and Stuart ‘Stuewy’ O’Connell (37), both from Oldcastle, Co Meath.
A second male motorcyclist was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with serious injuries, while a third male motorcyclist was taken to Cavan General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Elsewhere, a teenage boy died following a collision between a car and an e-scooter in Co Kilkenny. He was named locally as Joe Carthy from Kilkenny city. He was the third e-scooter user to die in Ireland within the last month.
Cllr Joe Malone said the family was “distraught” by what happened. He told RTÉ radio: “Joe comes from the Traveller community. And they’re all out there last night and coming together and trying to take it in. It’s so sad.”
Separately, a man in his 40s died in a single-vehicle incident shortly after 1.30am on Saturday at Ballynamona in Kinsale, Co Cork. He was named locally as Finbarr Coleman.
Meanwhile, a motorcyclist aged in his 50s was killed in a crash involving a car in Co Down on Sunday afternoon.
Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the crash on the Killyleagh Road in Downpatrick, which happened at around 4pm, to come forward, specifically two other motorcyclists who were on the road at around the same time.
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