By Callum McGuigan
LOCAL motorists have been urged to slow down and stay alert after it was revealed Fermanagh’s roads were officially the deadliest in the North.
A total of 14 people were killed on roads in Fermanagh and Omagh between April 2024 and March 2025.
That’s almost double any other district in the North, and almost twice the number of local road deaths in the previous year.
During the same period there were 74 people seriously injured in the local area, and 358 slightly injured.
David Jackson from Road Safe NI called for all road users to keep safety in mind at all times.
“From January 1 to December 17 there have been 52 deaths on our roads across Northern Ireland,” he said.
“In Fermanagh and Omagh there could be any amount of reasons why there are so many deaths, from the rural roads to the distances between hospitals.
“We are urging for all pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to practice extreme caution, especially at this time of year.”
Mr Jackson noted 95 per-cent of collisions were caused by people.
“We no longer call them accidents because it is the choices that people make which kills people,” he said.
“Our emphasis is on educating road users – especially young drivers – on how to be safe on the road.”The startling statistics were released on what has been a particularly devastating period for the county, with the
latest tragedies yet to be added to the official figures.
There have been five deaths on Femanagh roads in the last few months alone, and another man was seriously injured in a lorry crash in Belleek last week.
Just two weeks ago 69-year-old Francie Lynch was killed in a single vehicle collision on the Dernawilt Road near Lisnaskea.
A fortnight before that Michal Lisiecki and Adam Telus were killed on the Derrylin Road following a collision with a bus.
In October, Alan Boyd was killed in a single car collision in Kesh, while in September Charles Dunleavy died following a collision on the Gardrum Road area of Mullaghdun.
Meanwhile, the county is coming to terms with yet another loss this week, following the death of Fermanagh native mother-of-two Emma Mackarel in a crash in Monaghan last Thursday.
Local youth politician Jack McCubbin, who has been campaigning for road safety, also called for better education.
“Most drivers believe they are all good drivers, some believe they shouldn’t worry about themselves or others,” he said.
“However they are sadly mistaken. Drivers must be vigilant of their own driving as much as they are vigilant as other drivers; both come hand in hand.
“With 446 people injured and 14 people killed from (April) 2024, it is important to realise that we need to take a second thought before stepping behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“It’s also important to mention that as the weather is cold, unforgiving and dangerous that all drivers must take caution when driving, especially on icy days or on major arterial roads like the A5.
“Sadly we recently lost multiple lives due to collisions, the only way we can improve this is through engaging the public.”
He added, “Education is one major thing I believe is usually left out of most conversations, it is usually the best and easiest way to spread the word about road safety.”
