Of the 177 serious or fatal road collisions in the past two months, 16 were hit-and-runs, making up 9% of these incidents.

That's according to a study conducted by TheJournal.ie, which found that hit-and-runs also made up a similar number of incidents during the same period in 2023.

Transport consultant Conor Faughnan told The Pat Kenny Show that drivers should be aware of the severity of driving away from the scene of an accident.

"Even if hypothetically [the person who was hit] was completely responsible for the crash, the driver leaving the scene, that's a very serious offence," he said.

"No matter whose fault it is, leaving the scene is a crime. If you leave the scene of an accident, that is a very serious road traffic offence.

"It can carry up to 10 years imprisonment, depending on the severity of the incident."

Angry driver presses the horn of the car. Image: frantic / Alamy. 24 May 2020

However, Mr Faughnan said that some incidents 'might not be that serious'.

"I would suspect that some of these - and I don't want to be trite about it - some of them might be at the very minor end of the scale," he said.

"It could be like a road rage incident, you know, 'We shouted at each other and I fell off my bike and the other guy drove away and flipped me the bird, and I said, 'Look, my wheel's dented, that's a hit-and-run'.'

"Maybe some of them are just not that serious - but others are obviosly extremely serious; I mean some are still part of active Garda investigations and some include fatalities."

"Grotesquely irresponsible"

Listener Will texted into the show to tell of a recent experience he had in Blanchardstown.

"I was knocked off my motorbike at a busy roundabout in Blanchardstown on Monday," he said.

"I was dragged three metres as I clung to my motorbike and the side of the car, eventually falling and just avoiding being crossed by the car.

"It proceeded to drive off as I lay on the ground, releived to only have minor injuries. Drivers are out of control."

Mr Faughnan said such behaviour was "grotesquely irresponsible".

Main image: The outbound N7 dual carriageway at Kingswood, Co Dublin Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin. 21/09/2020