Five people have died on the roads over the Bank Holiday weekend. Two women lost their lives in a collision in Co Carlow, while three men were killed in separate incidents in counties Antrim and Tyrone.
A Cork man, badly injured in a crash in Devon, England, 10 months ago has also died. He was Con Twomey (39). His 16-month- son Oisin, his unborn daughter and the driver of another car also died in the collision near Torquay last July. His wife Elber suffered severe injuries.
The weekend deaths mark a change in the downward trend of road fatalities throughout Ireland in recent years. Stormont minister Alex Attwood said the death toll so far in Northern Ireland was now running at twice that of 2012.
Died at the scene
In Co Carlow, two women understood to be in their 50s and 70s, died on Saturday afternoon when their car was in collision with a minibus at Rathwade Cross, Bagenalstown. They died at the scene.
Four others, including two children, were injured and taken to hospital in Kilkenny.
In Co Antrim, a 56-year-old man died after he was involved in a collision between a van and a tow truck on the Ballbogey Road near Portrush on Saturday evening.
A teenage pedestrian, struck while using the Beltany Road in Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, on Saturday, died in hospital yesterday .
In Co Antrim, a man in his 20s died in a three-vehicle collision near Larne. The crash happened on the Belfast Road and involved a silver Vauxhall Corsa, a blue Peugeot 206 and a black Volkswagen Touran.
Some 66 people have lost their lives on the roads of the Republic so far this year. The trend is causing some concern. The total of 186 deaths for the last available year was the lowest on record.
Double
In the North 19 have died so far this year, more than double the nine who had lost their lives by the same date in 2012.
Environment minister Alex Attwood said after the latest fatalities: “Our road deaths this year to date in Northern Ireland are twice the same period as last year. This is also the case and more in the Republic.
"It is one of the reasons why the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland and the Road Safety Authority [in the Republic] will launch a joint campaign in coming days and will urge people to be even more aware of road risks."
He added: “If we all used the roads more safely over the next eight months we can turn this trend around and ensure fewer are suffering the pain of loss that many families this weekend are facing.”