Police officers across the country are focussing on road safety operations today (27 September) in a bid to highlight the road safety message as the winter nights approach.
Chief Inspector Diane Pennington said: “Tragically, so far this year, 39 people have been killed in road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland, many more have received life changing injuries.
“In every policing district across the country today, local and neighbourhood policing teams, together with road policing officers are running operations designed to address the issues which cause the most harm on our roads.
“With inattention, excessive speed for the conditions and drink or drug driving, consistently the main causes of the most serious collisions in which people are killed or seriously injured, officers will be running focused operations in hotspot areas to detect road users taking unnecessary and potentially life-changing risks.”
During the day of road safety activity, police officers in marked and unmarked cars. Motorbikes and bicycles will perform a range of duties, including authorised roadside vehicle checkpoints, together with the deployment of safety camera partnership vehicles throughout the day.
Chief Inspector Pennington added: “Police will robustly enforce the law to make Northern Ireland’s roads safer, but all road users must share the responsibility to prevent deaths and injuries on our roads.
“Pedestrians must pay attention to their environment, whether that means not getting distracted by friends or mobile devices, or being especially careful when walking on country roads by walking against the traffic flow or by wearing highly visible clothing.
“Motorists also need to be mindful of pedestrians, especially along unlit country roads as the darker nights approach.
“Our road safety message is very simple. All we ask is that drivers slow down, do not drive after drinking or taking drugs, wear a seatbelt, drive with greater care and attention and don’t use mobile phones while driving,” Chief Inspector Pennington concluded.
