Motorists have been puzzled by them for weeks, but the National Roads Authority has finally revealed the purpose behind the mysterious road signs which appear to give conflicting information on the number of people killed on the roads in the past four years.
The signs, positioned on most major routes, include two road death figures, one of them crossed out.
According to the NRA, the figure crossed out represents the number of deaths for four years to the end of 1999.
The upper figure represents the number of people killed in the local authority area in the four years to the end of 2000. A spokeswoman for the NRA said the figures were designed to make motorists think twice about speeding.
Slogans on the signs include "Who cares?", "Stop the carnage!" and "If you care, slow down". The NRA has allocated £290,000 for a total of 365 signs around the State.
Local authorities are assisting in the implementation of the scheme and are advising the NRA whether signs are required at particular "high speed" areas.
Mr Michael Tobin, chief executive of the NRA, said irresponsible driving had huge implications with tragic consequences. The NRA would continue to work in partnership with the Garda and the National Safety Council and would spend £14.5 million this year on road safety measures.
Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick of the Garda National Traffic Bureau welcomed the new signs. Garda statistics showed that bad driver behaviour was behind 82 per cent of road collisions last year.