25 motorcyclists suffered serious injuries after collisions on Donegal roads

A new Road Safety Authority report has revealed how 25 motorcyclists suffered serious injuries following collisions on Donegal roads over the past five years.

The ‘Motorcyclist Spotlight Report: Fatalities and Serious Injuries’ shows that 105 motorcyclists lost their lives on Irish roads from 2020 to 2024, while 884 were seriously injured.

Motorcyclists accounted for 14 per cent of all road fatalities and 12 per cent of serious injuries during the period. This is despite the fact that motorbikes account for only 1.4 per cent of the total number of registered vehicles in Ireland.

An average of 21 motorcyclists were fatally injured and an average of 177 motorcyclists were seriously injured every year from 2020 through 2024.

Some 74 per cent of motorcyclist deaths occurred on rural roads, with Counties Dublin [20] and Cork [11] accounting for the highest numbers of fatalities. The number of fatalities for other counties is not detailed.

In terms of serious collisions, County Donegal was the tenth worst county, with 25 serious injuries, which was 3 per cent of the total. Once again Dublin [254, 29 per cent] and Cork [102, 12 per cent] had by far the most serious injuries.

The RSA report shows that young to middle-aged men remain the most at risk, with 65 per cent of motorcyclist fatalities aged 16-45, and 100 per cent of fatalities being male.

The overwhelming majority of serious injuries were also male (93 per cent), while 82 per cent were aged 16-55.

Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs with the RSA, said the report is another stark reminder of the human cost of road trauma and the acute risks motorcyclists face.

“These findings highlight the need for drivers and motorcyclists alike to share the road with heightened awareness and responsibility. Behind each statistic is a life lost or forever changed, and families left grieving,” she said.

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Half of all motorcyclist fatalities took place at the weekend, while two-thirds of serious injuries occurred between 12pm and 8pm, with Sunday the most dangerous day.

Failure to observe was identified as the most common contributory action in multi-vehicle collisions resulting in serious injuries.

The RSA is calling on all road users to increase vigilance, particularly during the summer months when serious motorcyclist injuries typically rise.

Ms O’Connor added: “We must act now to reverse these figures. We all have a part to play in protecting the most vulnerable on our roads. We’re urging drivers to take a second look before pulling out or turning – this is a life-saver look, and we all need to build it into our every trip. We also need motorcyclists to prioritise safe riding at all times.”