NI's road death figures for 2023 'simply horrific'

A total of 71 people lost their lives on Northern Ireland's roads in 2023 - the highest annual number of deaths for eight years.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the number of fatalities was "simply horrific" and appealed to the public to heed safety messages.

The annual death toll has not risen above 70 since 2015.

PSNI figures also show 679 people were seriously injured on roads between 1 January and 31 October 2023.

Injury figures for the final two months of the year have not yet been published.

However, those provisional figures show that single-vehicle collisions accounted for almost one fifth (19%) of all road deaths in the first 10 months of 2023.

'Particularly shocking'

Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible for policies and legislation governing road usage in Northern Ireland.

There is currently no minister in post so the department is being led by its most senior civil servant - DfI Permanent Secretary Denis McMahon.

In a statement, he offered "sincere sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones and to those who endure life-changing injuries through road collisions".

"What is particularly shocking this year is the high number of deaths of some of the most vulnerable road users - motorcyclists and pedestrians," Mr McMahon said.

A total of 13 motorcyclists and 20 pedestrians died on the roads throughout 2023 - the most recent pedestrian death occurring on 29 December.

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The permanent secretary added that everyone in Northern Ireland must share responsibility for road safety.

"Evidence shows that most road deaths are avoidable, as more than nine in 10 deaths and serious injuries are due to human error," Mr McMahon said.

In March 2023, the PSNI released its annual statistics on road collisions and casualties for the previous year and the report contained a graph showing the pattern of road fatalities during the past decade.

It show that deaths were highest in 2014, when 79 people lost their lives.

The PSNI and the Department for Infrastructure have issued a joint safety appeal to all road users

The second highest number of fatalities was in 2015, when 74 people died.

'Fatal five'

Since then, figures had improved but the latest statistics have caused concern.

Ch Supt Sam Donaldson said road safety needs to be taken more seriously by all of society.

"This number is simply horrific and I appeal to all road users to learn about the steps they can take to keep themselves and others safe on our roads," he said.

"The responsibility for making our roads a safer place is one that we all share.

Remember the 'Fatal Five' - don't drink or take drugs and drive; slow down; don't be careless; always wear your seat belt and never use your mobile phone whilst driving."

There was a cross-border operation at Bridgend in County Donegal in November aimed at tackling a rise in the number of road deaths on the island of Ireland

Republic records rise in deaths

Meanwhile, a total of 184 people were killed on roads in the Republic of Ireland in 2023, according to the country's Road Safety Authority (RSA).

This was the highest number of fatalities in almost a decade, when 192 people lost their lives on the road in 2014.

It represents a 19% increase in road deaths compared to 2022.

The number of road fatalities had reduced during the coronavirus pandemic, with 136 deaths in 2021 and 146 in 2020.

RSA Chairperson Liz O'Donnell said more must be done and welcomed the "proposed introduction of a national strategy on camera-based enforcement which, I understand, will be prioritised 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.