December is the most dangerous month for pedestrians in the north, according to new figures.
Data contained in a new analysis report commissioned by the Department for Infrastructure shows that out of 831 pedestrians killed or seriously injured between 2019 and 2023, December was the month with the most casualties at 103, compared to the month with the lowest, July, which over the five years saw 49 casualties.
The report, Pedestrian Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) Casualties in Northern Ireland, is compiled with data provided by the PSNI, and shows that in the five years it covers, 67 pedestrians were killed in collisions across the region.
Pedestrians killed or injured account for 20% of all road crash casualties in the north in that timeframe.
Children under 16 years of age accounted for almost a quarter (24%) of pedestrians casualties.
The data also shows that 61% of the pedestrian casualties were male, while the most common reported cause (20%) was pedestrians being “heedless of traffic crossing carriageway”.
Urban roads are the most dangerous for pedestrians, with 83% of the casualties occurring on them, while Belfast had the highest annual rate (75.6) of pedestrian casualties per 100,000 resident population, with Mid Ulster having the lowest (22.5).
Meanwhile, the report also identifies the days and times in which pedestrians are most at risk.
“Pedestrian KSIs occur at any time of the day and every day of the week; however, they are more likely to occur in the afternoon and early evening, with nearly one-third (32%) of all pedestrian KSIs occurring between the hours of 3pm and 7pm,” the report states.
“The other period of note is Sunday morning between 1am and 3am – in the five years 2019-2023, 20 pedestrian KSI casualties were recorded at this time. The day with the greatest number of pedestrian fatalities was Saturday, with 142 (17%).”
