As the Garda road safety operation targeting drink-driving gets under way for this August bank holiday weekend, the Taoiseach has urged care on the roads.
"I would urge all those who use our roads to exercise extra caution, particularly over the August bank holiday period when thousands of extra journeys will be made by car and road users travelling on unfamiliar roads," Bertie Ahern said.
Road deaths and injuries continued to exact a heavy toll on the community. The statistics hid the harsh reality for many families of loved ones suddenly taken from them or having to cope with major disabilities for the rest of their lives, he said.
A total of 240 lives had been lost on the roads this year up to August 2nd. Three people died on the roads during the August bank holiday weekend last year.
"Road safety strategies must consist of many different policies and measures and no single measure is sufficient by itself to ensure improved road safety performance," Mr Ahern said.
"However, I expect that the implementation of the key measures in the Road Traffic Act will significantly improve driver behaviour on our roads."
This weekend, Operation Surround will operate all over the State through a series of scheduled high-visibility static checkpoints with mandatory alcohol- testing plus overt and covert patrols and checks.
It began at midnight yesterday in every Garda division and will continue until midnight on Monday.
A Garda spokesman said: "The advice is simple - if you are drinking this bank holiday weekend, don't drive; have a nominated non-drinker to do the driving or use public transport."
Thousands of people will be on the move throughout the State over the weekend.
More than 370,000 passengers are expected to travel through Dublin airport from today until Monday.
Iarnród Éireann expects up to 200,000 people to travel by Intercity rail. There will be changes to timetables from today inclusive, with additional services operating at key times. With the alternative timetable in operation throughout the weekend, passengers are advised to check times.
Tickets for GAA special trains on tomorrow and Sunday are sold out, as are regular services from Cork and Kerry on Saturday morning, and Cork and Waterford on Sunday morning.
Bus Éireann will carry 200,000 passengers over the weekend. It will also be operating special services to and from the Hi-Fi music festival in Belvedere House, Mullingar.
All tickets must be bought in advance.
A shuttle service will also operate to and from Galway Races, which continue until Sunday.
AA Roadwatch advises that traffic around the Ballybrit course will be heavy.
Traffic restrictions will be in place around Croke Park in Dublin for the All Ireland football quarter-finals, between Armagh and Kerry and Cork and Donegal tomorrow, and the All Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Waterford on Sunday.
Stena Line will carry 71,000 passengers and 14,000 cars and Irish Ferries is nearing full capacity.
All Irish Ferry Swift sailings today are cancelled and all passengers will be transferred to the MV Ulysses.