LAST year Fermanagh was the second most likely place to die on the roads with nine fatalities in the county. During road safety week Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in conjunction with the PSNI are hoping to change that statistic. 

 

On Monday the Fire and Rescue Service along with the PSNI attended Devenish College to do a ‘mock’ road traffic collision to target and educate the 16-24 age bracket about road safety.

 

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Watch Commander, from Enniskillen branch said, “We are aiming our campaign at schools and colleges, hoping to target between 850-900 people – It is a hard hitting message and we are not there to put people in tears, but we want to educate young people about the dangers.

 

“We live in the community and we see first hand the impact it a road death can have. – We see the aftermath after a police officer has knocked on the door at 2am to tell a family the devastating news that their son or daughter has died in a road traffic collision.”

 

A rise in the number of cars on the road, the fast paced society we live in, an increase in ‘R’ plate drivers and not enough attention given to the road or road conditions have all contributed to the increase in road fatalities. 

 

Watch Commander Tim Richmond added, “Road Safety Week aims to raise awareness of the tragic consequences of dangerous driving on our roads in the Fermanagh area. This year, there have been six fatal road traffic collisions in the Fermanagh and Omagh areas. That is six families that will be a very different Christmas than last year.”

Fire and Rescue Service and the PSNI have warned drivers to pay particular attention to road conditions in poor weather. 

 

Constable Trevor Kirke, Traffic branch said, “We are using Road Safety Week as a reminder, particularly at this time of the year, to urge road users to stop and think of the responsibility that we all have to each other on our roads. By taking more care on our roads – by slowing down, paying attention, wearing seat belts, not using mobile phones and never driving under the influence of drink or drugs – we can all help save lives and ‘Share the Road to Zero’

 

“We will enforce the law and are determined to make Northern Ireland’s roads safer, but our role is very much secondary. – Road users must accept their responsibility to think about their actions on the roads and modify their driving to cope with winter conditions.”

 

Further RTC demos have taken place in Portora, St Michael’s and next Tuesday at South West Skills Centre.