Stark statistics show that Newry, Mourne and Down, as a local
government district, had the highest rate of fatal and serious
collisions caused by speeding from 2019-2023.
There were 36 Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) collisions and
59 KSI casualties in the area during that five-year period.
In a bid to raise road safety awareness and ultimately save lives
in light of those figures, Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade
has achieved two ‘firsts' - by being the first Chamber to sign up
to the Share the Road to Zero campaign, and the first to host the
PSNI's hard-hitting RoadSafe Roadshow.
Thanking Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade for taking these
important steps for road safety, Infrastructure Minister said: “Road safety,
and ensuring everyone returns home safely from their daily
journey, is everyone's business and I want to thank Newry Chamber
of Commerce & Trade for taking practical steps that will help
all of us think about our own behaviour as road users.
“The roadshow normally has a predominantly teenage
audience and is attended by tens of thousands of school students
annually. But the messages it contains, including powerful
first-hand accounts of the life-changing impact from fatal
collisions, are equally relevant to those of us who have been
driving for years. By signing up to the Share the Road to Zero
campaign, and by hosting the RoadSafe Roadshow, Newry Chamber is
helping us to highlight these important issues among Newry's
vibrant business community, among more experienced drivers, their
families, their colleagues and their employees.
“Last year, 69 people set off on what turned out to be
their last journey.
“Despite the statistics telling us that over 95% of
collisions are due to human error, as individuals we never think
that we are the problem. We tell ourselves that it's the other
road users that are the problem - but it is worth remembering
that to everyone else, you are the ‘someone else'.
“The message is clear: we all share the roads and the
risks and we all share the responsibility to keep everyone
safe.”
Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade President Edwina Flynn
said: “We are very happy to add our name to the growing list of
organisations that have supported DfI's Share the Road to Zero
campaign.
“The fact that we are signing up to the campaign and also hosting
the PSNI's Roadsafe Roadshow demonstrates the responsibility we
recognise that we have as business leaders and road users to keep
ourselves, our employees and our customers safe.
“Sadly, statistics show Newry, Mourne and Down has the highest
annual rate of people who have been killed or seriously injured
in collisions caused by speeding and that underlines how relevant
it is for our business community to raise awareness about road
safety.
“We are reminding the business community here, and further
afield, of the extra care we must take to keep ourselves, our
families and other road users safe.”
Watch: Minister Kimmins joins Newry Chamber at RoadSafe
Roadshow https://youtu.be/_RYXUP2UF60
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption: Infrastructure Minister with Michael Savage who
signed up to Share the Road to Zero on behalf of Newry Chamber
of Commerce and Trade after hosting the PSNI's hard-hitting
RoadSafe Roadshow. Included are constable Stevie Dickson, NIFRS
watch commander Neil Dumigan and John Amos, from the Northern
Ireland Ambulance Service.
- Statistics on speeding Killed and Seriously Injured
collisions are available here: KSI-Casualties-caused-by-Excessive-Speed-2019-2023.pdf
- Sadly, so far this year 31 people have lost their lives on
our roads.
