The Government has been accused of “doing absolutely nothing” as road fatalities continue to mount. 

Within a 24 hour period this week, two men and one woman all died in separate road crashes in counties Limerick, Tipperary and Monaghan. 

So far, 181 people have died on Irish roads this year - 17 more than passed away during the same period last year. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Irish Road Victims Association Vice President Leo Leighio said the Government needs to do far more to reverse the trend of ever increasing road deaths. 

“[There] just seems to be a lack of urgency in doing the necessary things that need to be done,” he said.

“We're dealing with victims of road fatalities every single day and it's just heartbreaking, seeing these people going through what we went through.

“And we're doing nothing about it, we're doing absolutely nothing about it.” 

A Garda lays flowers after a crash. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie.

In the Programme for Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised to “crack down on dangerous driving”, by increasing the number of speed cameras and consider a new graduated penalty points system. 

However, for Mr Leighio, it is not nearly enough. 

“We were promised a reduction in speed limits and the Government reneged on two of those speed limits coming down - two very important ones,” he said. 

“30 kilometers and 80 kilometers an hour where the road isn't separated. 

“We were promised more speed cameras and we haven't been given that.

“We were promised more Gardaí on the roads, more roads policing and we haven't been given that either. Everything has been put on the shelf.” 

A Garda checkpoint after a crash. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie.

Mr Leighio said the Government’s response stands in stark contrast to the decisive action taken by the Welsh Government. 

In Wales, new 20mph default speed limits have seen the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads fall by 100 a year. 

“There was great opposition against that but the minister over there just said, ‘To hell with it’... and they've done it.

“But our minister can't do it, I just don't understand. People are dying.” 

With two weeks still left in 2025, Mr Leighio fears Ireland could record 100 road fatalities this year, something he described as “crazy”. 

The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.

Main image: Gardaí and an ambulance. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie.