The Road Safety Authority has said the 7% increase in road deaths in the first six months of the year is alarming.

Eighty-nine people were killed on Irish roads in the first six months of this year.

RSA Chief Executive Moyagh Murdock said the figures were alarming and urged motorists to slow down.

The figures, released by gardaí and the RSA ahead of the Bank Holiday Weekend, show that almost four out of five road deaths occur on rural roads.

Gardaí have also developed an app, which will make it easier for them to access driver data on the road.

The app is being piloted in Limerick and gardaí say they are hopeful it will be rolled out across the country with 2,000 devices by the end of the year.