We all need to take more care on roads

Today marks the beginning of this year’s Road Safety Week, and all road users are being reminded of their responsibility to keep themselves and other people safe as we share the highways.

The main theme this year is “Be Bike Smart” and it is a timely one. Over the last five years, from 2013 to 2017, our cyclists and motorcyclists accounted for 18% of all road users who were killed or seriously injured.

These are shocking figures, particularly when the statistics show that during the same period 12 cyclists died and 252 were seriously injured, as well as the 40 motorcyclists who died and the 461 seriously injured.

The latter figure is particularly shocking, as it represents nearly two motorcyclists badly injured each week.

These facts underline that we need to be particularly careful about the safety of people on two wheels. They, too, need to be vary careful on our roads today.

Thankfully, the number of deaths is decreasing from a peak of 372 in 1972, which was also the worst year of the Troubles. So far this year 51 people have died on our roads, but that is 51 too many.

While we can draw some comfort from this decline over the decades, the fact remains that every single death is a human tragedy which devastates families.

Speed is a major contributory factor in many road accidents, and another increasing problem is that of drivers using mobile phones. Despite the ingenuity of hands-free phones, all technology of this nature can cause drivers to be dangerously distracted, and place them, their passengers, and other road users at great risk. It takes only a split second of inattention for a collision to occur.

Fortunately, there has been a significant cultural shift in attitudes to drink-driving, which used to be extremely prevalent. This is now regarded by many people as an example of great individual irresponsibility, but there are still far too many people convicted of this offence.

As we approach the festive season, the roads become busier, people have even more on their minds and the danger of alcohol excess is present not only in the evening, but also on the morning after.

The latest statistics of road deaths and injuries are a stark warning, and we would all do well to take a moment to heed the messages of Road Safety Week. The harsh reality is that every week should be a road safety week.