Gardaí make Bank Holiday appeal with rise in pedestrian injuries during October and December

Kenneth Fox

As the October Bank Holiday Weekend approaches, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority are appealing to all road users to stay safe.

It comes as statistics show a rise in pedestrian injuries on Irish roads between October and December each year. Of the 138 road fatalities so far this year, 29 were pedestrians.

They said Bank Holiday Weekends are among the busiest periods on Irish roads. They are also among the periods where road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.

With shorter daylight hours and clocks going back one hour this Sunday, An Garda Síochána reminds all road users to ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’.

Drivers are encouraged to use dipped headlights during the day, particularly if their vehicle does not have Daytime Running Lights. Pedestrians and cyclists should wear high-visibility clothing and ensure they are clearly visible in darker conditions.

Data recorded over the period 2020-2024 shows that 1,462 pedestrians were seriously injured following a road traffic collision.

More than one-third (34 per cent) of these serious injuries occurred between October and December. The data shows that 21 per cent of pedestrians in these incidents failed to observe properly.

Other data over that period found:

• A 64 per cent increase in the number of serious injuries among pedestrians between 2021 and 2022;
• Four in ten of all serious pedestrian injuries took place in Dublin;
• Types of injuries sustained by pedestrians were predominantly head and lower limb injuries with an average length of stay of 11 days in hospital;
• Hospital data shows that 1,384 pedestrians were admitted to hospital between 2020 and 2024 following a road traffic collision. Of all those hospitalised, 418 (30 per cent) sustained clinically serious injuries, often with long-term impacts. Two-thirds were male, and one-third were aged 65 or older.

An Garda Síochána will be conducting a dedicated road traffic enforcement operation throughout the October Bank Holiday weekend, which will start at 7 am on Thursday, 23rd October 2025, and continue until 7am on Tuesday, 28th October 2025.

The focus will be on detecting and deterring key risk behaviours such as speeding, impaired driving, mobile phone use, and non-wearing of seat belts.

Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Seán Canney TD, said: "As the clocks go back and winter approaches, I urge all road users to make safety the focus of their journeys.

"No matter how we travel, we need to protect ourselves and each other. Light up your vehicle; wear high visibility clothing; adjust your speed for the road and weather conditions; and never drive distracted or intoxicated. Emergency services are ready to help – but let’s do our best to avoid needing them.”