New Assembly must be radical on road safety - Parsley

2.20.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 8th Apr 2007

Alliance Party Youth Affairs Spokesperson Ian James Parsley

Alliance Party Youth Affairs Spokesperson Ian James Parsley has said the new Assembly must be radical on road safety, and called for innovative new measures on road signage, driver education and road safety advertising.

The North Down Councillor stated: "It is easy to see that our road safety record continues to be appalling, the challenge is to do something about it.

"The Assembly should commit itself to three prime tasks. First, we must set our own standards for warning signage, particularly with regard to low bridges and 30mph limit reminders. Second, we must use the failed R-plate system more effectively, using it not to restrict but to provide incentives for young drivers to undergo further training. Third, we must change our road safety advertising strategy.

"On signage, there is widespread confusion about low bridges, as evidenced by the number of incidents in locations such as the Crawfordsburn Road in North Down and the Hillhall Road near Lisburn; and there are rural roads with 30mph limits where repeater signs would stop casualties. We cannot go without just because of 'UK standards', we must have our own standards to suit the rural nature of our roads system.

"On young drivers, we must stop the nonsense of the 45mph limit, which is a hindrance to safe driving more than a help. Instead, the system should be designed to encourage advanced motorist training after the first year or first few years on the road. Subsidised insurance and reduced motor tax are among the measures which could be used as reward for taking on further education about our roads.

"Finally, we need a series of adverts about safe driving such as those already in use in Great Britain - warnings about driver 'blind spots', watching for long vehicles at roundabouts, and checking for cyclists while turning would all be helpful, as would roadside hoardings tackling issues such as unsafe overtaking. A 'blood and gore' TV advertising campaign is of almost no value without these other measures.

"Such moves must come in addition to long overdue changes, such as focusing police enforcement on rural single carriageways not safe main roads, lower limits on side roads, and construction of dual carriageways on main routes with no gaps in the central barrier.

"There is now no excuse for the Executive not to tackle these issues as a high priority. The volume of lives, particularly young lives, lost on our roads must now shock us into concrete action."

ENDS