Drop in number of road deaths

Outside of Belfast City District which accounted for approaching a quarter of all road traffic casualties with 2,125 (23.5%), the next highest District was Newry, Mourne & Down with 879 (9.7%) followed by Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon with 846 (9.3%).

However figures showed that the number of people killed on local roads fell from eight in 2016/17 to six in 2017/18.

The report revealed that the number casualties seriously injured also fell from 89 in 2016/2017 to 78 in 2017/18 but those slightly injured rose from 750 to 762.

The overall total of casualties or deaths also fell by one - from 847 to 846 over the same period.

The police report indicated that during 2017-18 the total number of road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland decreased by 1.9% from 6,162 to 6,046.

The overall number of casualties as a result of road traffic collisions fell, from 9,557 to 9,051 (-5.3%) and the number of fatalities as a result of road traffic collisions decreased from 65 to 61 (-6.2%).

There were 87 fewer people seriously injured in road traffic collisions (750 compared with 837) – a decrease of 10.4% and the number of people slightly injured reduced by 4.8%, from 8,655 to 8,240.

Commenting on the figures, Inspector Rosie Leech said, “Credit for this reduction must go in part to those road users who adhere to the rules of the road; to our partners who work so hard to educate road users and those who construct our roads to safe standards, and the significant contribution of our emergency service colleagues, for their life-saving skills when called to attend the most serious collisions.

“We must all re-double our efforts to keep ourselves and others safe on Northern Ireland’s roads by always wearing our seatbelts, ignoring our mobile phones when we should be paying attention to our surroundings, adhering to the speed limits and never, ever drinking or taking drugs before driving.”