Council with most road traffic fatalities approves motion to prioritise new safety projects

Newry Mourne and Down District Council's Monaghan Row headquarters.

The local authority with the most traffic fatalities in Northern Ireland has approved a motion to prioritise new road safety initiatives.

A PSNI report brought to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) has shown 60 deaths on NI roads this year to December 5.

The same statistics show nine fatalities in NMDDC, with the 2022/23 figures showing 119 people seriously injured in the district.

Bringing forward the motion, Rowallane SDLP rep Terry Andrews said: “Council officers have identified the key issues and have highlighted the increase in the number of people sadly killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“In the past year, this has seen our district with the most killed in Northern Ireland.

“The various initiatives and awareness programmes are welcomed and highly commended and the motion asks if further funding can be found for further safety initiatives and a public messaging programme.”

An example of the council awareness programmes has seen the promotion of the ‘Paulie Project’ documentary on local families who have lost lives, which has been viewed online over 70k times.

The documentary was co-produced with the Newry, Mourne & Down Road Safe NI Committee.

Slieve Gullion Sinn Fein councillor, Declan Murphy added: “It was only last week that we had another serious accident on the A1 near Loughbrickland that had the dual carriageway closed on both directions.

“Unfortunately, if you take a look at the stats, it is just very worrying.

“Obviously road safety is a multi-agency approach and I have to commend the PCSP (Policing and Community Safety Partnership) for taking on road safety as part of its remit and that is where we have had the initiative for the SIDS (Speed Indicator Device Signs).

“It’s unfortunate that the price of the SIDS has gone up and at this moment in time the Department for Justice isn’t going to fund any more and the Department for Infrastructure hasn’t given any commitment either.

“But, I am in no doubt the PCSP will continue to push that and they have to be commended.

“Any initiative that looks at speeding, use of mobile phones or people being reckless all have to be welcomed.”