The alarming rise in deaths on our roads during 2023 must give each of us serious pause for thought. As our detailed coverage online this month has shown and as we report in the paper today, road deaths have reached a seven-year high.
According to the latest PSNI statistics, up to December 29 a total of 69 drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users lost their lives during 2023. Sadly, it is possible that grim total may rise yet further before 2024 dawns.
- Lower speed limits to reduce road deaths, says senior PSNI officer after spike in fatalitiesOpens in new window
- ‘Too many people are taking chances on Northern Ireland’s roads’ - A plea from Road Safe NI CharityOpens in new window
- Remembering those who have died on Northern Ireland’s roads in 2023Opens in new window
The statistics for the past 12 months are a substantial rise compared to last year’s total of 55, which was itself a 10% jump from 2021′s figure of 50. The last time so many people were killed on the north’s roads was 2016, when 68 deaths were recorded.
The figures come against the backdrop of the Department for Infrastructure’s road safety strategy which is aiming for fewer than 35 road deaths by 2030. Something is going badly wrong when that target is being so tragically missed, with almost twice as many deaths in 2023.
It is deeply worrying that these numbers remain so stubbornly high. Behind the cold statistics are families who have spent Christmas and this new year without a loved one or, in the case of the worst accidents, loved ones.
Road improvements can be key to saving lives. For example, the much-delayed upgrading of the A5, which runs between Derry and Aughnacloy, cannot come too soon; it is estimated to have seen more than 50 fatalities since 2006.
There is also a case for introducing more 20mph zones in built up areas and lowering the default national speed limit of 60mph on certain country roads. Driver education, too, could surely be improved. Consideration should be given to whether drivers should be reassessed when renewing their licence.
- Northern Ireland centenary stone is a monument to wrong prioritiesOpens in new window
- The boycott has failed. Donaldson needs to get the DUP back to Stormont – nowOpens in new window
- Donaldson needs to find courage to bring back Stormont and face down his opponents - both inside and outside the DUPOpens in new window
Fundamentally, however, it is road users themselves who can make roads safer. Watching our speed and making sure we drive appropriately to the road and weather conditions would make an enormous difference.
Avoiding the temptation of looking at our smartphones is also vital - inattention was the principal causation factor in collisions in 2022, according to the PSNI.
As we stand on the threshold of a new year, we can all play a role in keeping each other safe on the roads and making sure that fewer homes have an empty chair at Christmas in 2024.
