‘Wrongway driving reports underestimated’, Kildare garda speaks out after M9 tragedy

The scene on the M9 northbound at Junction 3 in Co Kildare where five people died and others were seriously injured after a head-on collision between two cars.

placeholder image — The scene on the M9 northbound at Junction 3 in Co Kildare where five people died and others were seriously injured after a head-on collision between two cars.

GRA Vice President and Naas-based garda John Joe O’Connell believes wrong-way motorway driving figures are “underestimated”, despite the major rise in incidents since last year.

Wrongway motorway driving continues to be a major issue on Irish roads with figures rising massively in 2026.

John Joe O’Connell, Vice President of the GRA (Garda Representative Association) and also attached to the Roads Policing Unit in Naas spoke to RTE about wrong-way motorway driving.

Wrong-way motorway driving isn’t just an Irish issue as a similar head-on collision to the recent M9 tragedy occurred on a dual carriageway in the UK on Saturday, resulting in seven deaths, including two police officers.

Cars have been recorded driving the wrong way down Irish motorways 62 times so far in 2026 according to Transport Infrastructure Ireland figures cited in the Irish Times this week.

This number was 47 in the same period in 2025.

Despite this, O’Connell believes the numbers are underreported.

2026 looks set to be the deadliest year on Irish roads since 2010, with fatalities up 18% from this period last year.

O’Connell believes the wrong-way driving figures may be underestimated due to them being predominantly in Dublin and Cork due to the technology being there to capture the incidents.

“We have numerous incidents north, south, east, west, of this type of driving.”

Following the accident on the M9 there were numerous reports of copycat incidents according to O’Connell.

O’Connell claims the GRA have warned about these incidents for years and only now there’s discussions around new legislation to support vehicle pursuit training for the Gardai.

“We’ve been looking for this for years and we want to see it happen now.

“We’re looking for not only pursuit training, but for members to be brought up to a standard which is CBD2 (Competency Behaviour Driving 2), which allows them to respond with blue lights and sirens.

“We have many gardai in the country who cannot do that due to the assessment they’re on as at CBD1 they can’t even do that.

“We’re looking for legislation that enables our members, if they get involved in a pursuit after they’re trained, allows them to do that without jeopardising their own personal driving licence.

“We’re looking for a work driving licence that protects our own personal driving licence.

“We’re also looking for protection and support so our members can go and intervene without the fear of being brought before the courts themselves which is happening across the country.

“We want to be part of the solution, we have made a submission already, and I think the whole country is devastated over what has happened, I hope it’s not too late and I hope these incidents don’t happen again.”