Gardaí have begun their June bank holiday road safety campaign and are promising to focus on speeding, drink-driving and non-wearing of seatbelts.
Operation Livesaver, which began at midnight and runs until midnight on Monday, coincides with the introduction today of penalty points for the offence of careless driving, which may also include using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel.
The Garda said enforcement would be visible on all road networks, with particular emphasis on collision-prone locations in each Garda division. Checkpoints will also be operated in each division over the weekend.
Two people died on the roads during the June bank holiday period last year, compared to five deaths in 2002. A total of 152 people have died on the State's roads so far this year, an increase of 18 on the same period last year.
On one recent weekend, 11 people died in road traffic accidents in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Almost all of them were men aged between 18 and 30. Seven young men died on another weekend earlier this year.
In its Arrive Alive road safety campaign, begun yesterday, the National Safety Council (NSC) said that inappropriate and excessive speed was a contributory factor in approximately 40 per cent of fatal crashes in Ireland.
"This means that speed-related crashes could contribute to the death of about 150 people each year, serious injury to about 600 people each year and minor injury to over 3,000 people each year. The estimated cost to the community of speed related crashes could be about €355 million a year," the NSC said.
AA Roadwatch said it was supporting the NSC campaign and also urged motorists to slow down and "arrive alive" this weekend. "Road safety is a serious concern on long weekends," said AA Roadwatch controller Ms Emma Caulfield.
"Many of us will be driving long distances that we are not accustomed to; however, speeding is never the solution and now more than ever motorists should observe the speed limits, first and foremost in the interest of safety, but also so as not to clock up penalty points."