The number of deaths on Irish roads has risen this year compared to last year, despite the country being under coronavirus restrictions.
Car crashes have also seen a dramatic increase despite significant reductions in traffic volumes.
During the first 13 days of level five restrictions, the number of crashes reported by AA Roadwatch trebled when compared to the first 13 days of the March lockdown: 37 compared to 11.
Similarly a total of 65 'traffic incidents' were reported during the same period - up from 24 in March.
Director of consumer affairs with AA Ireland, Conor Faughnan, told Pat Kenny the increase in deaths is perplexing.
"It is a bit of a mystery - we're watching this very carefully, this is what AA Roadwatch does every day".
"We build up a databank of information that we're able to look back on and analyse - and there's a significant difference between lockdown one and lockdown two.
"Lockdown one back in March dropped traffic volumes to around about 30/35% of normal.
"So they never got down to zero, but it was very, very quiet almost eerily so on a lot of those commuter routes people will remember.
"And a lot of people are observing, and I'm sure you're hearing Pat, that lockdown two doesn't feel the same... and the data bears that out.
"So we're looking at the current lockdown, and we have traffic volumes at about 65% of normal - so double what it was in March - while still below a normal October/November.
"And we're seeing that I guess everywhere across the country - but we're certainly seeing the commuting volumes are returning."
'A different feel to lockdown two'
He said this is "partly because schools have been open, partly because construction traffic hasn't stopped."
"But there's a very different feel to lockdown two compared to lockdown one.
"We're seeing that in crashes as well".
Road deaths are also up, which Conor said "truly is a mystery".
"I don't have a glib reason why that might be, it does need to be analysed, but it's a real factor".
He said Irish road deaths have dropped enormously over the last 20 years.
"We're now averaging about 150 road deaths per year, it's still an ugly number, but much better than it used to be.
"But there doesn't seem to be a good reason why - with a very significant drop in traffic in 2020 - the number of deaths should go up."
"We've had 10 more deaths year to date this year, compared to last year.
"I think that might be because there's a sense, almost a complacent sense, roads appear quiet and therefore speeds might drift up.
"But that's what I feel rather than what I know, if you like.
"It will merit closer study, but it genuinely is a mystery".
Figures show that in the first two weeks of level five restrictions, traffic volumes on major routes across the country fell to approximately 60% to 65% of levels seen during a typical weekday in October.
In contrast, during the initial weeks of the first lockdown in March, many routes were recording as low as 35% of their typical weekday volumes.
