- Ireland has more than 2,000 roundabouts, roughly 400 per million people.
- There are 11 toll points in the Republic of Ireland and none in Northern Ireland.
- The M50 toll for a private car is €3.80 as of August 2026 and must be paid before 8pm the following day.
- Petrol costs €1.65–€1.85 per litre and diesel €1.60–€1.80 per litre as of August 2026.
- The typical car hire excess in Ireland is €1,500–€3,000 as of August 2026.
This is a reference page. Every figure below is one line, with the source and the date it applies to, so it can be quoted or cited without reading a 3,000-word guide first.
Figures are current as of August 2026. Irish toll prices are reviewed each January; fuel prices move weekly. Where a number has a range, that range is the real spread across the country rather than an average dressed up as a precise figure.
Roundabouts
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roundabouts in Ireland | More than 2,000 | Compiled from national road authority junction data; see our roundabout rules guide |
| Roundabouts per million people | ~400 | Derived from the count above against CSO population figures |
| Global density ranking | Top five countries | Derived from per-capita comparison with UK, Germany, France and the US |
| Towns with 20+ roundabouts | Mullingar, Athlone, Tullamore, Portlaoise | Town-boundary counts, Irish midlands |
| Direction of travel | Clockwise | Rules of the Road (Ireland drives on the left) |
Most of Ireland's roundabouts were built during the road-building programme between 1998 and 2008, when roundabouts were preferred over signalised junctions on cost and safety grounds.
Toll Roads
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Toll points, Republic of Ireland | 11 | Transport Infrastructure Ireland toll schedule, 2026 |
| Toll roads, Northern Ireland | 0 | Northern Ireland has no tolled roads |
| Barrier-free toll points | 1 (M50 West-Link) | eFlow; every other Irish toll has booths |
| M50 toll, private car, pay-as-you-go | €3.80 | eFlow 2026 rates |
| M50 toll with eFlow post-pay account | €3.20 | eFlow 2026 rates |
| M50 toll with eFlow electronic tag | €2.60 | eFlow 2026 rates |
| M50 payment deadline | 8pm the day after travel | eFlow terms |
| M50 penalty after 14 days unpaid | €41.50 | eFlow penalty schedule |
| M50 penalty after 56 days unpaid | €106.50 | eFlow penalty schedule |
| Cheapest barrier toll | €1.50 (M3, both plazas) | TII toll schedule, 2026 car rates |
| Most expensive standard barrier toll | €3.10 (M4 Kilcock–Kinnegad) | TII toll schedule, 2026 car rates |
| Dublin Port Tunnel, peak direction | €13.00 | TII toll schedule, 2026 car rates |
Full breakdown of every toll point and how to pay: toll roads in Ireland.
Fuel Prices
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol (95 octane / E10), per litre | €1.65 – €1.85 | Forecourt price range, August 2026 |
| Diesel, per litre | €1.60 – €1.80 | Forecourt price range, August 2026 |
| Premium petrol (98 octane), per litre | €1.80 – €2.00 | Forecourt price range, August 2026 |
| Typical diesel saving vs petrol | 5 – 10 cent per litre | Derived from the ranges above |
| Supermarket forecourt saving | 5 – 10 cent per litre below standalone stations | Price comparison across forecourt types |
| Most expensive fuel location | Motorway service stations | Price comparison across forecourt types |
| Standard petrol grade | 95 octane, E10 since 2024 | National fuel specification |
| Live price tracker used locally | Pumps.ie | Crowdsourced forecourt prices, updated daily |
Full detail, including misfuelling costs: fuel in Ireland.
Car Hire and Insurance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical hire car excess | €1,500 – €3,000 | Irish rental market, August 2026 |
| Excess, economy car | €1,000 – €1,500 | By vehicle class |
| Excess, SUV or premium | €2,000 – €3,000 | By vehicle class |
| Excess, van or 7-seater | €2,500 – €3,500 | By vehicle class |
| Super CDW at the rental desk, per day | €15 – €30 | Irish rental desk pricing, August 2026 |
| Standalone excess policy, per day | €3 – €8 | Third-party excess insurers, August 2026 |
| Standalone excess policy, annual | €40 – €80 | Third-party excess insurers, August 2026 |
| Credit card CDW covering Ireland | Rare | Ireland is excluded from most Visa, Mastercard and Amex auto-rental benefits |
| Minimum hire age | 21 | Standard across Irish rental companies |
| Licence held for | 2 years minimum | Standard across Irish rental companies |
Full detail: car hire excess insurance.
Car Sharing (GoCar)
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GoCar vehicles in Ireland | 950+ | GoCar fleet, 2026 |
| Cities with GoCar fleets | Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, plus regional towns | GoCar coverage |
| Hourly rate, small city car | From €9 | GoCar rates, 2026 |
| Daily rate, small city car | From €50 | GoCar rates, 2026 |
| Fuel included per booking | 50 km, then €0.25/km | GoCar terms |
| Insurance excess | €2,000, reducible to €250 | GoCar terms |
| Minimum booking | 1 hour | GoCar terms |
| Airport pickup available | No | GoCar has no airport locations |
| IrelandByCar partner promo | €25 off first trip with code 31k65h | GoCar promo code |
Driving Rules and Conditions
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Side of the road | Left | Rules of the Road; applies in both jurisdictions |
| Vehicle configuration | Right-hand drive | Steering wheel on the right |
| Speed limit, urban | 50 km/h | Rules of the Road |
| Speed limit, rural local roads (L and unnumbered) | 60 km/h | Reduced from 80 km/h on 7 February 2025; Department of Transport |
| Rural speed limit sign (white circle, five diagonals) | 60 km/h | RSA; the sign carries no number |
| Speed limit, regional roads (R) | 80 km/h | Rules of the Road; unchanged by the 2025 reduction |
| Speed limit, national roads | 100 km/h | Rules of the Road |
| Speed limit, motorway | 120 km/h | Rules of the Road |
| Northern Ireland speed units | Miles per hour | NI uses imperial units; the Republic uses metric |
| Phone use while driving | €120 fine plus 3 penalty points | Road Traffic Acts, first offence |
| Non-EU licence validity | 12 months from entry | Applies to US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand licences |
Full detail: driving rules and road signs, every Irish speed limit and driving on the left.
Using These Figures
You are welcome to cite any figure on this page. If you do, please link back to
https://irelandbycar.ie/guides/ireland-driving-statistics so readers can check
the date the figure applies to.
Prices in Ireland move. Toll rates are reviewed every January by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, fuel prices change weekly, and rental excess amounts vary by company and vehicle class. Anything on this page carrying a euro figure should be treated as accurate for August 2026 and re-checked against the primary source before being relied on for a booking.