Ulster Rugby Stars Back Road Safety Campaign

Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney, and Michael Lowry, three prominent Ulster Rugby players, have joined forces to support a road safety campaign.

The trio is backing the Department for Infrastructure's 'Share the Road to Zero' initiative, which aims to reduce road deaths by encouraging all road users to prioritize safety.

With a combined total of nearly 400 Ulster caps, Stockdale, Timoney, and Lowry are well-known and respected figures in Northern Irish sports. Their support for the campaign is expected to raise awareness and encourage safer driving practices among fans and the general public.

After signing up to 'Share the Road to Zero', Michael Lowry explained why he and his Ulster team-mates are keen to support the innovative campaign.

He said: "I am very aware that 17,000 or 18,000 people, including a lot of families, young people and children, travel to Ulster's home games.

"It is crucial that we all take care in what we are doing when we are driving so we can arrive safe for the game, have a good time and return home safely.

"It is a very important message that we all take a lot of care in what we are doing when we are driving so we hopefully arrive safe, have a good time and get back home safely and that's why I was keen to add my voice and support to the Share the Road to Zero campaign."

Seventy one people lost their lives on roads in the north in 2023, compared to 55 deaths in 2022 and 50 in 2021 and many hundreds of people have been seriously injured, which leaves too many families, friends and communities devastated.

So far in 2024 48 people have died due to road traffic collisions with eight lives lost in September alone. Ulster Rugby have joined the Northern Ireland Football League, Ulster GAA, PSNI, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Sustrans NI and councils who have also backed the campaign.

Last month the IFA and Northern Ireland international and Liverpool football star Conor Bradley also signed up to the campaign.

Minister John O'Dowd said: "I want to thank Ulster Rugby and in particular Nick, Jacob and Michael for their participation in Share the Road to Zero.

"Families and fans will be travelling back and forth to sports and rugby patches over the course of the season and it is vitally important that we all play our part.

"One of the best ways to ensure safety on our roads and fulfil our long-term goal of eliminating death and serious injury by 2050, is by changing road user behaviour.

"We all have a personal responsibility to behave in a way that keeps ourselves and others safe and my Department's Share the Road to Zero campaign reminds us of that.

"The sad reality is that if we do not change our own attitudes when we are using the roads, our death toll will continue to increase.

"The actions we all take on the road ensure that everyone arrives home safe, so please follow the message to take care on the roads and pay attention to keep us all safe."

Ulster Rugby CEO, Hugh McCaughey, said: "It is very sad to hear that the number of people who have lost their lives on the roads has risen.

"As our new season gathers momentum, we have many supporters who travel to our games and we want to make sure they arrive home safely.

"By signing up to Share the Road to Zero we hope we can play a part in reminding people to be responsible on the roads."

Pledging to 'Share the Road to Zero' can be done online via www.sharetheroadtozero.com as an individual or as an organisation.