113 Young People Killed Or Injured On NI Roads Last Year

Some 113 young people aged between 16 and 24 were injured or killed on the roads in Northern Ireland last year, it has emerged.

The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service released the figures as part of Road Safety Week, 18-24 November. The service is targeting young drivers with a campaign using virtual reality goggles that convey the hard hitting experience of traffic collisions on rural roads.

Fire crews responded to over 600 collisions this year and rescued over 440 people who had become trapped in their vehicles.

The Road Safety Week campaign is focused on rural roads in the hope of encouraging the community to keep themselves, and others, safe.

Crashes in such areas are a major road safety problem and last year accounted for 53% of deaths and serious injuries.

Alan Walmsley, NIFRS Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, explained why young drivers are being targeted: "This age group is consistently, year on year, over represented in the number of those killed or seriously injured on our roads. This is why, this 'Road Safety Week and beyond, our focus will be to continue to work in collaboration with our partners to educate younger drivers aged 16-24, through our 'Your Choice' virtual reality road safety education programme."

The campaign uses technology to place young motorists in the scenario of a crash on a rural road, portraying through specially designed goggles what the dramatic sights and sounds of emergency services arriving on the scene is like.

The scenario, based on a crash when a tractor pulled out in front of a distracted young driver, also demonstrates the resulting rescue and removal of the casualties.

The programme will be delivered by members of the emergency services to schools, colleges, youth groups and sporting groups to reach as many 16-24 year olds as possible.

NIFRS Chief Alan Walmsley continued: "We are reminding young people that they have a choice to decide what kind of road user they and their passengers will be. Those decisions are vital to their safety and the safety of other road users.

"In the last year alone Firefighters attended over 600 road traffic collisions rescuing 440 people trapped in vehicles. We attend approximately 60% of fatal road traffic collisions that occur in Northern Ireland each year.

"Unfortunately, Firefighters and our colleagues in other emergency services witness all too often the lives destroyed, in particular among the 16 – 24 year old age groups, as a consequence of irresponsible road user behaviour.

"We hope that by educating young people through 'Your Choice', it will help keep people safer on our roads and reduce the number of road traffic collisions attended by the emergency services."

NIFRS Community Safety Ambassador, Pat Jennings, added: "I'm delighted to be working with NIFRS as Community Safety Ambassador to help promote Road Safety Week and raise awareness of how people can keep themselves safe on the roads.

"We must do all we can to share the road to zero – one life lost is one too many."



(JG/MH)