Road Safety has warned it could undo years of road safety progress. New figures reveal that road deaths in the first half of 2023 are the worst in six years, with 100 people killed on Ireland's roads so far this year. The RSA warns that 168 lives will be lost on the roads by the end of the year if current trends continue.
The data shows 23 people aged between 16 and 25 have lost their lives so far this year, a similar number for the same period in 2021 and 2022.
It also showed that almost half of all road deaths occurred during quiet nights. Data available from a preliminary analysis of RSA road traffic fatalities highlights a number of worrying trends.
Three counties - Galway, Mayo and Cork - accounted for a third of all deaths. To date, there have been 100 road deaths, an increase of 11 compared to the same period in 2022.
As a "we are losing momentum on road safety - if the tragic consequences continue, we could see 168 homes empty this Christmas" .
Sam Wide, chief executive of the RSA, said everyone had a duty to do everything they could to reverse this trend and save lives.