Easytrip carried out an interesting syurvey recently only to highlight that 93% of Irish motorists are concerned with road safety in Ireland with one in six stating they are very concerned. The research was conducted last month with over 4,700 respondents taking part.

Contributing factors

With road fatalities continuing to rise on Irish roads - an increase of 35* deaths compared to 2022 - driver behaviours as potential contributing factors were reviewed as part of the research. This highlighted the top five behaviours as:

1. Driver distractions – use of mobile phone

2. Speeding

3. Driver inexperience

4. Poor road conditions

5. Driving under the influence

Driver fatigue and poor visibility were also revealed as other driving attributes that motorists believed may be impacting road safety in Ireland.

Opinion on speed limit review recommendations

Respondents to the Easytrip survey were also asked about the Department of Transport speed limit reviews for urban and rural roads. 57% of drivers agreed and welcomed the recommended reduction of speed from 80km/h to 60km/h on rural roads, while 43% disagreed with it. However when asked about the default speed limit on urban roads of 30 km/h over 60% of motorists disagreed to this recommendation.

Effectiveness of penalty points on safe driving

The penalty points system for driving offences was introduced in Ireland 21 years ago with the aim of improving driver behaviour. Motorists taking part in the research were asked about the system and its effectiveness on road safety this year, with the following results revealed:

• 48% believed the system to be ineffective

• 28% believed it is effective

• 23% were unsure

Standard of driving in Ireland

The level of experience and standard of driving witnessed in Ireland varies depending on the motorist and driving conditions. When reviewing this, almost half (46%) of respondents to the Easytrip survey said the standard was average, one in five motorists claimed it was somewhat good, while 6% highlighted that it was terrible and only 1% believed it to be exceptionally good.

Commenting on the research, CEO of Easytrip Ireland, Colin Delaney said: “It’s clear to see from our research that motorists are concerned with road safety standards and driving behaviours on our roads. The rules of the road, the systems and the laws that are in place are there to protect all road users. Any driving journey whether a short trip to the shop or a longer journey to visit family should be safe. We are all aware of how distractions and driving too fast negatively impacts our safety as a motorist and I would encourage motorists to review their driving behaviours and ask if they can do better in following the regulations. Not only will it help other road users, but it may also reduce the possibility of a road accident or fatality.”