A Government minister described 2025 as an “incredibly difficult year” on Irish roads while senior gardaí say they will continue to target drivers who engage in the most risky and dangerous driving behaviours.
Last year gardaí recorded 179 fatal road traffic crashes, which claimed 190 lives, and includes incidents where people lost their lives in car parks or non-public places.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has conducted a review of the 185 fatalities on public roads, which show that 76 drivers lost their lives, making up 41pc of all deaths.
The RSA report also shows that 30 motorcyclists lost their lives last year, making up 16pc of all fatalities, and the highest number of deaths among motorcyclists since 2007.
In 2025, 21 passengers also died in crashes, with 14 pedal cyclists killed and three e-scooter riders also losing their lives.
The number of cyclists who died was the highest since 2017 while in contrast fatalities among passengers decreased compared to 2024.
Overall, around three-quarters of those killed were male, with one-quarter female.
February and June saw the fewest number of fatalities (11 in each month), while November and December saw the highest number of fatalities, with 21 fatalities and 24 fatalities respectively.
Almost a half (48pc) of all fatalities in 2025 occurred between 12pm and 8pm, and more than a quarter (28pc) occurred late at night and early into the morning (8pm-4am).
The average number of deaths per month in 2025 was 15, compared with 14 per month in 2024.
Last year 190 people lost their lives on Irish roads according to garda figures compared to 175 the previous year.
It is a stark reminder that road safety is not just a policy area
Junior road safety minister, Seán Canney, described an “incredibly difficult year on Irish roads”.
“Too many families have faced heartbreak,” he said.
“Too many communities have been left grieving. It is a stark reminder that road safety is not just a policy area or a set of statistics – this is about people’s lives, about loved ones, about futures changed in an instant.
“My absolute priority as minister for road safety is to make Irish roads safer for everyone, and I will continue to work closely with all road safety stakeholders in the New Year to achieve this.”
Sam Waide, chief executive of the RSA, voiced deep concern at the figures.
“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic loss of life on Ireland’s roads in 2025,” he said.
“We are deeply concerned by the increase in fatalities, particularly among our most vulnerable road users – cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.
“With sustained political commitment, a whole-of-government response and adequate resourcing and funding, I firmly believe we can reverse this tragic increase in road deaths.”
Assistant Commissioner Catharina Gunne, An Garda Síochána, roads policing and community engagement, said it had been a “devastating year for the families of the 190 persons who died on our road”.
“We once again need to adjust attitudes to driver behaviour and make driving while under the influence of any intoxicant, inappropriate speed and driving while distracted unacceptable behaviours.”