Gardaí expect to mount at least 5,500 checkpoints around the State this weekend in an attempt to reduce dangerous driving.
The start yesterday, however, of Operation Taisteal was overshadowed by Thursday's day of tragedy on the roads, when six people - two of them children - died in separate accidents.
In another development, the Irish Insurance Federation warned that drivers who lied about the number of penalty points they had accrued, when applying for insurance, would not be covered if they had an accident.
The warning comes just days after the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said he would not allow insurance companies access to the penalty points database unless they agreed to reduce premiums by up to 15 per cent for drivers with no penalty points.
It now appears the firms may be able to, in part, sidestep Mr Brennan's threat. They will include an extra section on their application forms asking motorists to disclose the number of penalty points they have incurred. If applicants withhold information, they will not be covered by insurance if involved in an accident.
Mr Martin Long, IIF public relations manager, said companies offering insurance in Ireland have offered assurances that revenues raised from higher premiums being charged to motorists with points will be redistributed in reduced premiums to those with no points.
The victims of Thursday's accidents were named yesterday. The boy killed by a lorry in Co Roscommon was Lewis Gough (7), Killvaloon, Ballaghaderreen. Aaron Conboy (12), Gorteenoora, Longford, was cycling when he was hit by a truck in Co Longford.
Also named were Mr Noel Willbourne (22), Kilcoolan, Ballyneety, Co Limerick, who was killed in a single-vehicle accident near Cashel; Mr Patrick Redmond (27), Grange, Kilmore, Co Wexford, who died when his motorcycle collided with a car at Rocksborough, and Mr James Griffin (29), Knockroe, Kildimo, Co Limerick, who died in a two-car crash near Killarney. The other person killed had already been named as Ms Mary McCarron (76), Latlurgan, Monaghan, whose car was struck by an lorry at Castleshane, near Monaghan town.
Thursday's death toll is double that of last year's May bank holiday. A Garda spokesman said in an effort to minimise further death and injury this weekend, Operation Taisteal would be at least as extensive as the similarly-named operation over the Easter holiday.
Then, increased Garda activity resulted in 6,230 on-the-spot speeding fines; 1,740 fines for seat-belt infringements; 287 drink- driving charges with more than 340 people deemed to be driving dangerously.
Four people died on the roads during the Easter weekend.