Gardaí are to take to the roads in force at the weekend in a bid to end the horrific record of 22 deaths over the May Bank Holiday during the last five years, it emerged tonight.
Assistant Commissioner Eddie Rock, head of Garda traffic branch, said officers would maintain a strong presence nationwide as part of efforts to save lives and reduce injuries.
The NSC revealed 22 people lost their lives and 516 people were injured in May Bank Holiday road crashes since 2000.
"A feature of Garda enforcement will be high visibility on national primary routes, particularly at times of the day when there is greatest movement of traffic," the Assistant Commissioner said.
"This high visibility enforcement will be complimented by Garda enforcement on access, egress routes to urban centres, with a particular emphasis on routes in the vicinity of licensed premises."
And the NSC and An Garda Siochana campaign has urged drivers to heed the campaign to `get the point not the points' this May Bank Holiday.
Alan Richardson, NSC acting chief executive, called on motorists to follow a series of simple steps to help reduce the number of accidents on the roads.
He said drivers should slow down, wear seatbelts front and back, and ensure children are properly restrained, or risk picking up penalty points.
"As the number of people using our roads increases over the bank holiday so too do the risks we face as road users," said Mr Richardson.
"We need to slow down, don't drive when impaired by alcohol, drugs or tiredness and we need to wear our life saving seatbelts on every single trip no matter how short.
"If we are more careful more often there will be more of us alive to return to work, school or the family home safely after the Bank Holiday."
On May Bank Holiday weekends between 2000 and 2004 the NSC said 20 crashes had resulted in 22 deaths and gardai arrested 130 people on suspicion of drink driving following accidents.
A total of 118 people have died on Irish roads to date in 2004 compared to 119 for the same period last year.
Since the beginning of the year, 56 drivers, 23 passengers, 20 pedestrians, 15 motorcyclists and 4 pedal cyclists have died in fatal collisions, the NSC revealed.
PA