People are being urged never to drink and drive as latest figures show that 173 people were arrested for driving under the influence over the Christmas holiday period.
Gardaí say that 24 of those were arrested on suspicion of drug driving after 1,380 checkpoints were carried out across the country between 22 and 28 December.
So far this year, 157 people have lost their lives on Ireland's roads, which is 25 more than on the same date in 2021.
Inspector Ross O'Doherty of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that as people get ready to celebrate the New Year, anyone intending to have a drink should make alternative arrangements to get home and to avoid driving the following morning also.
He said that since 1 December, 76 people were arrested on suspicion of drink driving between the hours of 6am and 2pm.
"We are not asking motorists, we are urging them to help us reduce the number of serious and fatal road traffic collisions by never taking a risk. It is never, ever worth it and hindsight often comes far too late, " Inspector O'Doherty said.
More than 5,500 checkpoints were conducted during December, with 600 arrests made for driving under the influence.
There were also 186 seatbelt offences identified along with 11,647 speeding offences and 724 offences for use of a mobile phone while driving while 4,124 collisions were reported to gardaí.
