- Share The Road To Zero

Don’t Be The Reason

Road users are being urged not to be the reason emergency services are called to attend devastating serious and fatal road traffic collisions.

A video which tells the story of what happens at the scene of a serious crash has just been released. The film is taken from the unique perspective of firefighters, paramedics and police officers as they arrive on scene and deal with the devastation.

Last year, over 1,000 people were killed or seriously injured as a result of being involved in a collision.

Road traffic collisions deeply impact lives, not just of those involved, but their families and friends too. They also deeply affect the people who are first on the scene and who deal with the immediate aftermath – the paramedics, firefighters and police. We pay tribute to them for everything they do and it is so important that these stories are told, to show the reality of what first responders are faced with in the aftermath of a serious collision.

None of us wants to be involved in a crash, and none of us wants to be the person responsible for it. Yet most collisions are avoidable because the statistics tell us that over 95% of them are caused by people behaving dangerously, carelessly or simply ignoring the law – so, slow down and pay attention. Don’t be the reason someone is being cut out of a vehicle, treated by the side of a road or receiving the worst possible news about someone they love.

Tragically, so far this year, 44 families in Northern Ireland have received the devastating news that their loved one is not coming home.

The video is being released as Road Safety Week (16 – 22 November) gets underway. Road safety is important all year round, not just for this week. In collaboration with our road safety partners, we can educate, improve engineering and enforce road traffic laws, but each of us as individuals must take personal responsibility for our own attitudes and behaviours when using the roads.

So please slow down, pay attention, never drink alcohol or take drugs if driving, leave the mobile phone alone, take extra care around our schools and act responsibly on every journey.

#RoadWiseUp