Parsley welcomes Minister's approach on road safety statistics

12.00.00am GMT Thu 5th Jan 2006

Young Alliance Chair Cllr Ian James Parsley has welcomed Minister Jeff Rooker's statement that the reduction in road fatalities on Northern Ireland's roads last year was merely "a milestone".

Cllr Parsley, a long-time road safety campaigner, stated: "While in theory it is welcome that Northern Ireland's roads are the safest they have been for 50 years, that will come as small comfort to the 136 families who lost loved ones on our roads last year, nor to the thousands of injured.

"The truth is that 2005's figure is nothing more than an aberration. In fact, road fatality figures for the last six months of the year were up on the previous six, and on the equivalent time period for 2004. For ten years now, despite improvements in vehicle safety, we have seen no significant improvement in general road safety statistics and we have missed road safety strategy targets.

"The objective must be a 40% reduction in road fatalities within the next decade, bringing the figure down to below 100 for the year every year. This can only be achieved through tough policies and even legislation, including addressing the restrictions on young drivers, revision of the speed limit on rural roads, and better road law enforcement.

"It strikes me that the Minister is taking a very sensible attitude to these statistics. I trust he will also take a sensible attitude to the policies required to bring down road fatalities significantly. The 50mph speed limit I have proposed for secondary roads would be one such

sensible policy."

ENDS