Up to 200k drivers caught speeding on Irish roads this year

The stark figures come during one of the most deadly years on Irish roads as 148 people have lost their lives to date.

In 2022, 7,605 people across the country were arrested on suspicion of drug or drink driving and 156,560 were caught speeding.

Gardaí are upping the number of checkpoints nationwide as Christmas approaches.

In just the first week of December, 144 people were arrested for driving under the influence, including 35 on suspicion of drug driving.

Almost 4000 people were caught speeding in the last seven days alone, included in the 156,560 caught this year.

They have warned that the risk of a deadly crash rises during the festive period.

Over half of fatal crashes or collisions causing serious injuries happen between 12pm and 9pm.

“The number of people that have already lost their lives on Irish roads this year is a cause for concern,” said Inspector Ross O’Doherty of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau.

“Gardaí are out on duty everyday enforcing Road Traffic legislation in order to ensure that we do not lose any more lives.

"Motorists and all road users can help us reduce these stark statistics. Please be mindful of how easily collisions can happen.

"We are urging all road users and motorists in particular to pay even greater attention to driving conditions over the coming weekend, as temperatures take a sharp dip and the roads become more difficult to navigate.”

Donna Price, the founder and chair of the Irish Road Victims Association (IRVA) has previously told sundayworld.com that the losses on Irish roads have shattered lives.

"Losing your child or a loved one in a road traffic incident isn’t inevitable,” she said. “It’s not some sort of incurable disease. It is preventable, we know how to stop it.

"A driving licence is not a right, it is a privilege that can cause devastation.

"It is not normal to bury our own children. That is not a normal world.

"No parent should be burying their child. The world shatters around you and you are left picking up pieces that will never go together again.

"Believe me, it is hard to even get out of bed. Everything crumbles around you.”