Northern Ireland has seen the highest number of road deaths in eight years, with a total of 71 fatalities recorded in 2023. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) called the figure “simply horrific” and appealed to the public to pay attention to safety messages. Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible for the policies and legislation regarding road usage in Northern Ireland, but the lack of a current minister means that the department is being led by its most senior civil servant, Denis McMahon.
“The responsibility for making our roads a safer place is one that we all share,” said Ch Supt Sam Donaldson. The second highest number of fatalities occurred in 2015, when 74 fatalities occurred, but the latest figures up to the end of October 2023 have raised concern. The PSNI has revealed that single-vehicle collisions accounted for almost one fifth (19%) of all road deaths in the first 10 months of 2023.
The figures also reveal that 13 motorcyclists and 20 pedestrians lost their lives in road traffic accidents throughout 2023, with the most recent death occurring on 29 December. There were 679 serious injuries on the roads between 1 January and 31 October 2023. Denis McMahon, DfI’s Permanent Secretary, offered “sincere sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones and those who endure life-changing injuries through road collisions”.
Road safety is an issue that requires attention from all sections of society, McMahon stated, with evidence demonstrating that over 90% of fatalities and serious injuries are caused by human error. “What is particularly shocking this year is the high number of deaths among motorcyclists and pedestrians, two vulnerable groups”, McMahon added.
The lockdown induced by COVID-19 contributed to a decrease in road deaths in the Republic of Ireland in 2021 and 2020, but in 2023 the country recorded its highest death toll in almost a decade with 184 fatalities. Liz O’Donnell, the Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of Ireland encouraged the introduction of a national strategy on camera-based enforcement, which will be prioritized in 2024. Of the 184 road deaths reported in the Republic of Ireland in 2023, 69 were drivers, 44 were pedestrians, 34 were passengers, 26 were motorcyclists, eight were cyclists, and three were e-scooter users
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