Ten-year road safety strategy for Northern Ireland launched

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Angela Smith, today launched the new Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy for 2002-2012.

The Strategy sets long-term targets aimed at reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 33% and by 50% for children.

The Strategy also contains new measures aimed at addressing the causes of road deaths and to achieve the casualty reduction targets. They include:

• the introduction of a Safety Camera Scheme to combat excessive speed and red light running
• further traffic calming schemes and the introduction of advisory 20 mph zones in residential areas
• more enforcement by PSNI using roadside screening devices for drink and drugs
• continued high profile education and publicity campaigns supplemented by the issue of fixed penalty notices to increase the wearing of seatbelts
• continued high profile campaigns supplemented by the issue of fixed penalty notices to increase the wearing of seatbelts
• a children’s traffic club for pre-school children
• a practical child pedestrian safety training scheme to supplement classroom teaching
• a new pedestrian road safety publicity campaign to be launched shortly

Launching the Strategy, in conjunction with PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, Angela Smith said: “While there has been a significant improvement in Northern Ireland’s road safety record over the last 20 years, it remains of major concern that, on average, there are 13,000 road traffic casualties each year including 150 deaths and 1600 serious injuries. This represents enormous human suffering and a serious economic burden - the value of preventing these casualties is estimated at some £450 million annually.

“While Government, the police and the voluntary sector have vital roles to play, road safety is everyone’s responsibility. It is only with the support of the whole community that we can succeed in reducing further the heartbreaking and totally unacceptable number of casualties on our roads."

Mrs Smith revealed that the main causes of road deaths continued to be excessive speed, drink/drugs driving and failure to wear seat belts.

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