Speeding figures double and deaths rise on our roads for Christmas period, Leitrim councillor says

A Leitrim councillor has spoken out about figures released that show people appear to speeding more and also using their mobile phone more while driving over the Christmas period with more people also losing their lives.

Nearly 1,700 Fixed Charged Notices were issued to drivers found to be using a mobile phone while driving and over 450 were issued to people found not to be wearing seatbelts.

Cllr Barry said that the figures for those caught speeding were almost double those for the previous year. "I don't know why there is such a difference from one year to the next. Maybe people are travelling in better quality cars and don't realise they are going as fast they are because the car is so smooth and sturdy on the road. Everyone seems to be in a rush. I see cars passing you out and then when you go further down the road, you catch up with them again at a traffic light or junction. Everyone will arrive at their destination if they slow down and travel safely. There were 1,700 people caught using their mobile phone compared to 1,311 last year so people may be more distracted and not concentrating on what they are doing and then going faster and causing more accidents."

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Nearly 26,500 drivers were detected speeding and gardaí carried out nearly 10,000 checkpoints.

The figures also show that 750 people were arrested over the Christmas period (1 December to 5 January) for drink or drug driving. There were also 26 road deaths and over 70 serious collisions that resulted in a number of people receiving serious or life-threatening injuries. 

Cllr Brendan Barry noted that looking back at the same period last year, there were less arrests but there was "a lot more speeding and the percentage of those caught driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs was interesting."

Of the 765 total people arrested for driving while intoxicated, 56% of those (around 428 people) were primarily under the influence of alcohol, while 44% (around 337 people) were primarily under the influence of drugs.

Cllr Barry continued: "In 2024, there were 17 fatalities during that period and there were 26 in 2025, which was a lot more and that is alarming and disappointing. There was the same amount of checkpoints both years. In 2024, there were 939 people arrested for being suspected for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol so there was less people caught this year. 56% were under the influence of alcohol and 44% were under the influence of drugs and I found that alarming."

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Cllr Barry said that insufficient transport could be leading to people getting in their cars after a night out. "It's not an excuse but it is a factor; a lot of people find it very difficult to get home from places when they are out at night. If we more reliable ways of getting people home hopefully people wouldn't be drinking and then driving under the influence."

Over the course of 2025, 190 people were killed in road traffic collisions in Ireland. In 2026, two people have already lost their lives on Irish roads.