Gardaí have warned that wrong-way driving is "out of control" as the number of incidents rise by 32% in 2026.
Data released to The Irish Times shows that cars have been detected to be driving the wrong way on the motorway 62 times this year.
The data recorded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland's Motorway Operations Control Centre shows that seven incidents were recorded in August alone.
Garda Representative Association (GRA) deputy general secretary James Morrisroe said that "these numbers show that these perpetrators are now out of control. This is no longer a trend, it’s a clear and present threat to every road user in the country.”
According to The Irish Times the recordings are based on camera detections and reports made by other drivers.
It is assumed that less camera coverage exists on regional motorways, such as the M9 where five teenagers died when the car they were in was driving down the wrong way on the M9, colliding with another vehicle, and injured three women and a boy from the same family.
Morrisroe stated that the GRA has demanded a "full roll-out of driver training (CPD2) and pursuit training for years, yet it seems that it must take a tragedy on this scale to finally push Garda management and Government into action."
“It’s no longer time for soundbites and empty promises. We need actual start and completion dates for this training, plus the necessary legislative change to support our members to do the job that is so urgently required," he continued.
