Ireland needs to do "an awful lot better" to reduce road deaths after coming last on an EU league table, an expert has said.
Sunday Independent Motoring Editor Ger Herbert was speaking as new data suggests road deaths have actually fallen here over the past three months and are now 4% down on last year.
Garda figures show a total of 139 people have died on Irish roads so far this year which is down 10 on the same time last year.
There have also been 11 fewer collisions in the same period.
The drop also comes after a warning in the summer that Ireland could reach a grim milestone of more than 200 road deaths this year.
Sunday Independent Motoring Editor Ger Herbert told The Pat Kenny Show it's possible more people are aware of road safety.
"It was possibly just a growing awareness of it," she said.
"There was a huge amount of publicity and a huge amounting of campaigns - but overall we'd need to do an awful lot better.
"The EU released statistics earlier this month on the changes in road deaths in the EU between 2019 to 2023 - and we are bottom of the pile.
"Our road deaths increased by 31% over that time.
"At the other end of the scale is Cyprus, who actually reduced their road deaths by 35% during the same time."
Ms Herbert added that seeing Ireland at the bottom of the league table was "pretty stark".
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