Roads Policing Message – Review of Road Fatalities

This month, Crimecall included an extended Roads Policing segment offering advice to road users across the Four Garda Lifesaver offences that contribute to fatal collisions on our roads. Life Saver Offences:

Speeding
Driving under the influence – drink / drugs
Non wearing of seatbelts
Using a mobile phone while driving

The segment included contributions from the family of Cian Mooney who was killed in a collision near Piltown, Co Kilkenny, in 2022.Cian’s parents Eamon and Sylvia made the brave step of speaking about their loss in the hope that it would help saves others from experiencing a similar tragic loss.

Review of Fatalities (Sergeant Tony Miniter):

While the number of fatalities on our roads since the beginning of 2026 is currently (83), be under no illusion there have been far more lives destroyed than just (83). Each one of these deaths on our roads has had an absolutely catastrophic effect on each of the families that have lost a loved one…. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, clubmen and women. The tsunami of grief that follows after a fatal road traffic collision is far beyond what anyone can imagine.

Choices and Consequences:

After almost 33 years in An Garda Síochána, with (22) of these in roads policing I have come to realise that it’s a matter of choice. The vast majority of fatal collisions that I have attended all have begun with someone making a choice. A choice to speed, a choice to pick up that phone, a choice to drive while under the influence of drugs. What people don’t realise or understand is that the consequences of THEIR choice can have absolutely catastrophic consequences, sometimes for themselves and for other people.

What I would strongly encourage all of the people watching here tonight is to understand that the choices that you make…. you make…. can and sometimes does have fatal consequences. I have seen it time and time again over the years at the scene of these fatal or serious injury collisions. Decent people, hardworking people who in their eyes would never harm another person are left with blood on their hands.

Road safety is not pretty, road safety is not nice and as we head towards the summer months, there are (83) families that will spend this summer without a son, a daughter, a parent, a friend. (83) families, which is an increase of (7) from last year. Some decisions you make last a lifetime.

One of the other key elements to be being safe while in a vehicle is to make sure and wear a safety belt. Actually it’s not just wearing your safety belt, but to wear it properly. A handy guideline is to touch your left shoulder with you right hand. This is the same line that your safety belt should be across your chest. It can be very dangerous to wear your safety belt under your arm. It can also be highly dangerous to be sitting on your safety belt while it is clicked into place. There are pre-tensioners on all modern car safety belt systems and if this is triggered, which can happen even in slow speed collisions, then it can have devastating consequences. An Garda Síochána would advise all people who are travelling in vehicles to always wear your safety belt. The message is quite simple – Safety Belts Save Lives