Ulster Rugby stars Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney and Michael
Lowry are the latest high-profile sportspeople to back a road
safety community engagement campaign to reduce road deaths.
The Ireland trio is backing the Department for Infrastructure's
‘Share the Road to Zero' initiative which encourages all road
users to think of safety first when travelling.
Flying winger Stockdale, dynamic back-row forward Timoney and
explosive full-back Lowry have amassed almost 400 Ulster caps
between them.
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 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(external
link opens in a new window / tab) as an individual or as an
organisation.
