New plan to reduce road deaths in Laois after devastating rise in fatalities in 2025

The Laois Road Safety Action Plan for 2026 to 2030 has been approved by Laois County Council in an effort to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on roads.

The plan is part of the national goal of reaching Vision Zero by 2050, meaning there would be zero deaths or serious injuries on roads. It is hoped that by 2030, the number of road deaths and injuries will be cut in half.

Four people were killed on Laois roads last year. There were sadly two road deaths in the county in February, with the tragic death of a 5-year-old boy in a housing estate in Portlaoise and just days later a 70-year-old man was killed in a collision near Stradbally.

A young man in his 20s died in a collision at Ballaghmore, Borris-in-Ossory in June. Another man in his 20s, a motorcyclist, was killed in a collision in Abbeyleix in July.

This was an increase in the number of road deaths in Laois compared to the previous year. One person died on Laois roads in 2024, however 123 were injured. The number of road injuries in the county has remained much the same in the past number of years, with 137 in 2023 and 130 in 2022.

Already this year, a man in his 70s was killed after being struck by a car on Main Street in Abbeyleix in January. 

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A wide range of issues will be tackled as part of this plan to reduce road deaths and injuries, from Garda patrols, improving bus stops, reviewing speed limits, public lighting, and awareness campaigns.

The plan will be monitored, reviewed and implemented by the multi-agency Road Safety Working Together Group. This includes An Garda Síochána, the Department of Transport, the RSA, Laois County Council, the IFA, TII, the National Ambulance Service and the HSE.

Since the launch of the first ever Road Safety Strategy in 1998, road deaths have declined by almost 70% across the country. The RSA say that this, Ireland's fifth Road Safety Strategy, will adopt a transformational and partnership-based approach to road safety in Ireland to achieve a 50% reduction in deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

The plan is based on seven pillars, which includes Safe Roads and Roadsides, Safe Speeds, Safe Vehicles, Safe Road Use, Post Crash Response, Safe & Healthy Modes of Travel, and Safe Work-Related Road Use.

As part of the plan, there will be sustained Garda patrols which will focus on speeding, driving while intoxicated, unworn seatbelts, and the use of mobile phones while driving.

Laois County Council and TII will also be responsible for identifying and improving road design, signage, lighting, and pedestrian crossings.

The urban speed limit reduction to 30km/h in towns across Laois also falls under this plan. Laois County Council began assessing urban and built-up areas around the county in January with the aim of implementing the new speed limits by March 2027 as part of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

Community engagement is also a feature of the plan, from partnering with schools and community groups to driver training and public awareness campaigns.

Commenting on the plan, Garda Roads Policing Inspector for Laois and Offaly, Inspector Ralph Holmes said: "Over recent years, while Laois has made steady progress in improving road safety, the tragically preventable loss of life on our roads remains unacceptable.

"Every collision represents a personal tragedy—one that impacts families, friends and the broader community. Our work with local authorities, community organisations, schools, and road user groups is guided by the principle that no journey should end in heartbreak."

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