Ireland implements the EU's graduated motorcycle licensing directive, identical in structure to the UK system. A1 (age 16+) permits 125cc / 11kW machines. A2 (age 18+) allows up to 35kW. Full A licence (age 20+ via direct access, or 24+ standard) removes all restrictions. Each stage requires an Initial Basic Training (IBT) course — Ireland's equivalent of the UK's CBT — plus a theory test and practical test. The two-year minimum progression from A2 to A means new riders cannot access high-powered machines for at least two years. This is a key reason Ireland's motorcycle VMT rate (21.5) is lower than Australia (31.2) and New Zealand (38.4), which lack equivalent power restrictions.

Ireland's road network outside the motorway system consists largely of National Primary (N) and National Secondary roads — many of which are narrow, winding, and lack hard shoulders. Speed limits of 100 km/h apply to most N-roads regardless of their geometry, creating a mismatch between posted speed and safe speed. Rural roads account for the majority of Irish fatalities. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has identified rural road geometry as a primary contributing factor in Irish road deaths.

Ireland operates a 0.05% BAC limit for most drivers (0.02% for learner, novice, and professional drivers). Mandatory alcohol testing (MAT) checkpoints — where all drivers passing through must be tested — are a cornerstone of Irish enforcement. The Road Traffic Act 2010 significantly strengthened enforcement powers. Alcohol is involved in roughly 20% of Irish road fatalities. The combination of a lower BAC limit and mandatory testing has driven drink-driving deaths to historically low levels.

Ireland's GoSafe programme deploys mobile speed enforcement vans on high-risk road sections. Fixed safety cameras operate at known high-risk locations. Speed is a contributory factor in roughly 30% of Irish fatal crashes. The RSA's Safe Routes programme has identified sections of N-roads where the speed limit exceeds what the road geometry can safely support, and has recommended reductions. However, rural speed limit reductions face political resistance in areas where long journey distances make lower limits unpopular.

Young drivers (17–24) are significantly over-represented in Irish road fatalities relative to their share of licence holders. Ireland's novice driver licence imposes a 0.02% BAC limit, a 30 km/h lower speed limit on motorways, and a requirement to display N plates for two years. However, the learner permit system — which allows learners to drive unaccompanied after a certain period — has been criticised for producing drivers with insufficient supervised experience before taking their test.

Ireland's pedestrian death toll (24 in 2022) is low in absolute terms. Dublin and other cities have invested in pedestrian crossings, 30 km/h zones, and active travel infrastructure. However, rural towns and villages often lack safe pedestrian infrastructure — footpaths are absent on many rural roads, and lighting is limited. Older adults are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities, reflecting both higher vulnerability and the tendency for older people to walk in areas with less pedestrian infrastructure.