Six people died on the roads over St Patrick's weekend, up from four last year, a 50% increase.
There was also a 20% increase in the number of people seriously injured and a 3% increase in the number of people arrested for drink driving.
Around 5,000 people were caught speeding.
Six people died on the roads between 16 March and 20 March.
During that same period more than 11,500 drivers were tested at more than 1,000 drink driving checkpoints.
37 were arrested at these checkpoints and a further 230 were arrested during other garda patrols.
Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority have expressed their disappointment with the figures.
