Eight road deaths in Ireland across Christmas week

Some eight people have died and 20 were seriously injured in road crashes across the Christmas week.

Gardai urged the public to exercise caution on the roads with the busy New Year period approaching.

The force is conducting a road traffic enforcement operation throughout the Christmas period from Friday November 29 2024 to Monday January 6 2025.

In a statement on Monday, gardai said from December 20 to December 29 there were eight fatalities on the roads and 18 serious collisions which resulted in 20 people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

To date some 178 people have lost their lives in road traffic collisions in Ireland.

Gardai said as part of their operation they have carried out over 2,500 checkpoints, both statutory Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) and regular, high-visibility policing checkpoints.

Some 268 people were arrested during this period for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and more than 3,750 drivers were detected for speeding offences by An Garda Siochana and mobile safety camera vans.

They have urged caution over the next week.

“This New Year period will be extremely busy on Irish roads,” gardai said in a statement.

“It will also be one of the periods during which road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.

“An Garda Siochana is appealing to all those who will be taking to the roads over the New Year period and as people return to home and to work at the end of the week and early next week to slow down, take extra care and to give your driving your full attention.”