Road users urged to “take care” after seven deaths this weekend

Awful.

Gardaí have issued an appeal to road users, urging them to take extra care on the road after what they described as an "appalling weekend". Since Friday, seven people have lost their lives on Irish roads in multiple different collisions. A man in his early 20s died yesterday at around 12.30am in a single-vehicle collision in Co Limerick. The incident happened on the R512 at Carrigmartin, Ballyneety and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only person involved in the accident and his body was removed to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem. Gardaí have said there is a worrying amount of road deaths and the rise in them is of great concern. Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman has advised drivers to take weather conditions into account and take breaks if they begin to feel tired. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, she addressed the "tragic" weekend on Irish roads, saying: "We should all drive within road and weather conditions. I would ask people to take that into account - not just today, but any day of the week." Gardaí have also called for people not to share images or video footage of fatal road accidents after a video went viral of an accident on the M50 in Dublin on Friday where two motorcyclists in their 50s and 60s were killed. Two men in their 70s died following a three-car collision in Co Sligo on Sunday, while a motorcyclist in his 40s died following a crash near Clifden in Kilkenny on Saturday. A woman died in Cork after her car was driven into the River Lee in what Gardaí have described as a tragic incident on Friday. RSA Chairperson Liz O'Donnell said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland: "I think what we have to reflect on is that we are seeing an increase in fatalities in road crashes this year. "That is really distressing for everyone involved in road safety. "Nearly half of road fatalities are happening at weekends and 32% are happening late at night - between 10pm and 8am in the morning."