Motorcyclists are being advised to exercise extra caution this weekend as gardaí begin their bank holiday road safety enforcement campaign, reports RTE.
A man in his 20s has become the third motorcyclist to lose his life on Irish roads this year after his motorcycle struck a pole in Goleen, Co Cork yesterday, reports RTE.
Gardaí say there was an 80% drop in motorbike-related fatalities by the end of March this year compared to the same period in 2025.
However, in total last year, 29 motorcyclists and pillion passengers were killed, while a further 195 sustained serious injuries in collisions, reports RTE.
In a statement, An Garda Síochána said: “While this may seem like a positive trajectory, it is still three lives lost that could have been avoided,”, reports RTE.
The highest number of road fatalities in a decade was recorded in 2025.
So far this year, 55 people have died on the roads, with gardaí noting that this follows a similar pattern to last year, reports RTE.
Over 1,600 motorcyclists admitted to hospital in four years
Analysis from the Irish Road Traffic Collision Database, released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), shows that 1,648 motorcyclists were hospitalised following road traffic incidents between 2020 and 2024.
The majority of those injured, 89%, were male, and 40% were based in Dublin, reports RTE.
More than one-quarter suffered serious injuries, while 71% experienced multiple injuries.
Among those treated in hospital, half were involved in single-vehicle crashes, reports RTE.
Gardaí say an “extensive roads policing operation” is underway for the bank holiday weekend.
The operation began at 7am this morning and will run until 7am on 5 May, reports RTE.
An Garda Síochána said analysis of road incidents between March 2025 and February 2026 showed a rise in so-called “lifesaver offences” compared to the previous 12 months.
These included a 36% increase in speeding detections, a 10% rise in mobile phone use while driving, and a 6% increase in seatbelt non-compliance, reports RTE.
In a statement, Minister of State at the Department of Transport Seán Canney said: “While motorcyclists represent a relatively small group of road users, regrettably, recent years have seen a concerning rise in fatalities involving motorcyclists and we must work to reduce that number, reports RTE.
“I am appealing to all road users to be aware of motorcyclists on our roads, to take extra care, behave responsibly and to make the right choices to protect all road users, including motorcyclists,”, reports RTE.
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