Motorists are being urged to slow down and look out for all road users, including cyclists, over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
So far in 2024, 54 lives have been lost on Irish roads, 12 more than the same period last year.
In 2023, there were five deaths over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and 18 serious injuries.
Last year nine cyclists were killed and 216 cyclists were seriously injured.
The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and An Garda Síochána are calling on motorists to slow down and keep a safe distance from other road users this Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
They are also reminding road users to be aware of cyclists and to share the road safely.
RSA research shows that between 2018 and 2022, there were 1,327 cyclists seriously injured on Irish roads. The Cyclist fatalities and serious injuries (rsa.ie) report reveals that over eight in 10 (82%) of cyclists were seriously injured in multiple vehicle collisions, most commonly with a car or light goods vehicle.
The report’s findings include:
Almost three in five (58%) cyclists seriously injured were aged 26-55 years.
Seriously injured cyclists were most likely to be male (79%).
Four in five (80%) cyclists were injured between 8am and 8pm.
High proportions of serious injuries occurred Monday-Thursday (62%).
Four in five serious injuries occurred on urban roads (81%); over half (53%) occurred in Dublin.
Three in ten cyclists (29%) were injured at junctions.
All road users, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, are encouraged to slow down and keep a safe distance from other road users this weekend.
