Road Users Urged To Take Responsibility For Safety Of Others

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has urged all road users to prioritise the safety of others, highlighting that over 30% of respondents to a recent survey do not consider themselves responsible for the safety of all road users.

The findings, released in the latest 'Road Safety Issues in Northern Ireland' Continuous Household Survey, show that while most respondents believe they are responsible for their own safety, a significant minority do not believe they are responsible for the safety of others. "While this is welcome news, it is concerning that over 30% of survey respondents do not view the safety of every road user as being their responsibility," said Minister Kimmins. "I would appeal to everyone, whether travelling in a motorised vehicle, cycling, on foot or on horseback, to think about the safety of both themselves and of others when using the road."

Minister Kimmins emphasised that human error is a significant factor in road traffic collisions. "Over 95% of road deaths are caused by human error, which means the power to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads lies with all of us as individuals," she said.

"When we get behind the wheel, it's natural to believe that it's 'other drivers' that are the problem on the roads but it's worth remembering that to everyone else, you are the 'other driver'," she added.