{"id":6277,"date":"2019-03-19T10:19:41","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T15:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=6277"},"modified":"2019-03-22T17:20:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T22:20:51","slug":"roads-deaths-up-30-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=6277","title":{"rendered":"Roads Deaths Up 30% in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"There’s been a 30% rise in the number of road deaths so far this year.<\/p>\n

Five people lost their lives on Irish roads over the bank holiday weekend – bringing the number of fatalities in the first three months of the year to 39.<\/p>\n

The Garda Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is investigating the incident in Co Louth in which two men were killed yesterday.<\/p>\n

The AA’s Conor Faughnan says despite the rise in the first quarter of the year – Ireland is making progress in reducing road fatalities:<\/p>\n

“You have to be careful of the statistics of small numbers,” he cautioned. “We shouldn’t be blinded by that.”<\/p>\n

“We have to stick to the policies that have borne fruit and not be knocked off course when a bad weekend looks in the data like a trend.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 164 drivers were arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving over the bank holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

Garda\u00ed say 74 of those arrests happened on St Patrick’s Day itself.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the three-day period, there were 11 arrests made between the hours of 8am and 11am.<\/p>\n

Garda\u00ed say they will continue to target irresponsible drivers who put themselves and all other road users at risk.<\/p>\n

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