13 people died in road accidents last month, bringing the 2009 death toll to 176.
This accounts for 42 fewer deaths than during the same period last year.
The worst month on record for road deaths was November 1981 when 80 people lost their lives.
Road Safety Authority Chairman Gay Byrne said that 'while one death was too many, the reduction in fatalities was a tribute to the ordinary people of this country who have changed their driving behaviour.'
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey also welcomed the drop, saying 'the improvements made could not be sustained without implementing other vital measures in the road safety strategy and that the public must not become complacent about road safety.'
