Gardai will be out in force across Ireland today to carry out speed checks as part of National Slow Down Day.
There will be high visibility speed enforcement nationwide between 7am on Tuesday, February 28 and 7am on Wednesday, March 1.
This comes after 20 people died on Irish roads in January, the highest number of Road Traffic Fatalities of any January in 10 years.
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Gardai said the aim of 'Slow Down Day' is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, to increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.
The overall objective is to reduce the number of speed-related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.
Last year saw fatal and serious injury road traffic collisions increase with 156 people fatally injured, the largest death toll on our roads since 2016.
It has been estimated that 30 per cent of fatal collisions are the result of speeding or inappropriate speed.
A recent RSA Free Speed observational study showed that in 2022, 73 per cent of fatal collisions occurred on rural (80km/h or more) roads, with 27 per cent on urban roads.
Chief Superintendent Jane Humphries, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said: "It is important to thank all of those drivers who do the right thing and drive not only within the necessary speed limits, but at speeds that are appropriate to the conditions.
"However, each and every day across the country we continue to detect drivers travelling in excess of the speed limit. We know that a reduction in average speed will bring about a reduction in fatal collisions, and therefore reducing motorists’ speed is essential to improving road safety.
"Last year sadly saw an increase in fatalities on our roads, we have a collective responsibility for keeping each other safe on the road and I’d appeal to all road users to think about how their actions can have an impact on the lives of others."
Mr. Sam Waide, CEO, Road Safety Authority, said: "Excessive speed continues to be a leading contributory factor in fatal and serious injury collisions in Ireland and internationally. It has been estimated that 30 per cent of fatal collisions are the result of speeding or inappropriate speed.
"Evidence shows that many drivers are choosing to speed in our towns, villages and on rural roads. The RSA’s Free Speed observational study found that half of all drivers (52 per cent) were observed speeding on urban roads and over a quarter (27 per cent) were speeding on rural roads."
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