Sunday has emerged as the most dangerous day of the week on the State's main roads, with Sunday-evening drivers most at risk of being killed or injured.
The findings follow examination of road accident statistics for the last year in the Garda's eastern region, which includes the Louth-Meath, Cavan-Monaghan, Longford-Westmeath and Laois-Offaly divisions.
Sunday was the worst day for fatal accidents (21 per cent), followed by Friday (20 per cent), Saturday (15 per cent), Monday and Tuesday (13 per cent each), Thursday (10 per cent) and Wednesday (8 per cent).
Most other serious accidents also occurred on Sunday (20 per cent) followed by Friday (18 per cent), Saturday (18 per cent), Monday (15 per cent), Thursday (11 per cent), Tuesday (10 per cent) and Wednesday (8 per cent).
The times of highest risk for fatal accidents were between midday and 8 p.m. and then after midnight. Most other serious accidents happened between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., followed by the period 8 a.m. to noon and then in the hours after midnight.
The statistics showed cars were involved in 75 to 80 per cent of the accidents, with trucks/vans accounting for 15 per cent and motorcycles 5 per cent.
The figures show that good roads are no guarantee of road safety, as 80 per cent of the accidents were on straight stretches of main roads.
The emergence of Sunday evening as the time of highest risk could be due to the large numbers returning home after the weekend, while speed was the common factor in most accidents, according to Insp Gerry O'Brien, head of the Traffic Corps in the Louth-Meath Garda Division.