Minister Kimmins thanks Newry Chamber for putting road safety first

Stark statistics show that Newry, Mourne and Down, as a local government district, had the highest rate of fatal and serious collisions caused by speeding from 2019-2023.

There were 36 Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) collisions and 59 KSI casualties in the area during that five-year period.

In a bid to raise road safety awareness and ultimately save lives in light of those figures, Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade has achieved two ‘firsts’ - by being the first Chamber to sign up to the Share the Road to Zero campaign, and the first to host the PSNI’s hard-hitting RoadSafe Roadshow.

Thanking Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade for taking these important steps for road safety, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said: “Road safety, and ensuring everyone returns home safely from their daily journey, is everyone’s business and I want to thank Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade for taking practical steps that will help all of us think about our own behaviour as road users.

“The roadshow normally has a predominantly teenage audience and is attended by tens of thousands of school students annually. But the messages it contains, including powerful first-hand accounts of the life-changing impact from fatal collisions, are equally relevant to those of us who have been driving for years. By signing up to the Share the Road to Zero campaign, and by hosting the RoadSafe Roadshow, Newry Chamber is helping us to highlight these important issues among Newry’s vibrant business community, among more experienced drivers, their families, their colleagues and their employees.

“Last year, 69 people set off on what turned out to be their last journey.

“Despite the statistics telling us that over 95% of collisions are due to human error, as individuals we never think that we are the problem. We tell ourselves that it’s the other road users that are the problem - but it is worth remembering that to everyone else, you are the ‘someone else’.

“The message is clear: we all share the roads and the risks and we all share the responsibility to keep everyone safe.”

Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade President Edwina Flynn said: “We are very happy to add our name to the growing list of organisations that have supported DfI’s Share the Road to Zero campaign.

“The fact that we are signing up to the campaign and also hosting the PSNI’s Roadsafe Roadshow demonstrates the responsibility we recognise that we have as business leaders and road users to keep ourselves, our employees and our customers safe.

“Sadly, statistics show Newry, Mourne and Down has the highest annual rate of people who have been killed or seriously injured in collisions caused by speeding and that underlines how relevant it is for our business community to raise awareness about road safety.

“We are reminding the business community here, and further afield, of the extra care we must take to keep ourselves, our families and other road users safe.”