Special meeting to take place over wrong-way driving on Ireland's motorways

Gardaí and Irish government officials are holding a special meeting later to discuss wrong way driving on motorways and what can be done to stop it.

It follows a series of recent incidents on the motorway network, including a head-on crash on the M9 in County Kildare, in which five teenagers were killed, and four others were seriously injured.

The previous week nine people were injured after a collision involving a vehicle that was travelling in the wrong direction on the M50 in Dublin.

Senior road safety leadership from Ireland's Road Safety Authority, An Garda Síochána and Transport Infrastructure Ireland , along with Department of Transport and Department of Justice officials, will attend the meeting in Leinster House in Dublin.

Ireland's Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Seán Canney said “Road safety on our motorways is a key priority for Minister O’Brien and for me, and will be the focus of our meeting this week. Following recent tragedies, I want to bring the key road safety partners in Ireland together to discuss the issues arising and what more can be done to improve safety.”

“This is a complex issue which has many causes and will not be easily solved. It is important that we continue to work together and look at every practical measure available to make our motorways as safe as possible for everyone who uses them."

Meanwhile last weekend in England, a head-on collision on the A66 dual carriageway near Middlesbrough resulted in seven deaths, including two Police officers.

The crash happened after a vehicle which had been pursued by police, drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic.