Derry motorists urged to slow down after new shocking statistics

The highest speed recorded by the PSNI in Derry last year was 129 mph, according to new data.

The incident took place on the Glenshane Road in Derry between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024.

This was one of seven speeding incidents on this road recorded by the data acquired by the PSNI and provided to Derry News following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Five of the incidents took place in the Derry area of the Glenshane Road, with two occurring in the area of Claudy.

The quickest speed recorded was 129 mph, while the lowest high speed recorded on this list in the Derry area of the Glenshane Road was 107 mph.

In August there were 16 fatal road accidents on the island of Ireland, while in Northern Ireland by October 1 there has already been 48 road fatalities, with seven of those in Derry and Strabane.

The tragic passing of Kian Dawson-Kirk and his cousin Eoghan Dawson in a single-vehicle collision near Quigley's Point in Co Donegal, and Noah Karran three weeks later in another single-vehicle collision outside Park village, and the death of Joyce Taggart from Ballykelly following a collision between a bus and car in County Derry.

While not all of the fatal road accidents that have occurred on the island of Ireland have been due to high speeds, sadly evidence shows that more than 95% of road deaths are due to human error, including careless or inattentive driving, inappropriate speed for the road or the conditions, and drink and drug driving, which account for most deaths and serious injuries.

Recently, the Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd launched the ‘Road Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland to 2030’, which focuses on safe roads, safe vehicles, and safe people.

The strategy, developed following public consultation and engagement, outlines ambitious road safety improvement targets to 2030.

Minister O’Dowd said: “In the North, the death rate on our roads is, on average, one per week. It’s a shocking statistic, but this is about so much more than that—it’s about people.

“Behind the figures are loved ones who set off on an everyday journey, but now they are never coming home to their family and friends. From the moment that happens, lives are shattered and will never be the same again.”

Christopher Sherrard, founder of Life After, a charity delivering support services to family and friends of those who have lost their lives through a road traffic collision while also raising awareness of road safety and driver responsibility, is worried about the speeds of some drivers on the roads.

He said: “The road safety message is not strong enough.

“I've been doing road safety campaigning since 2016, from the day after my father died.

For a long time, there was little support for road safety, and it was hard to break through a lot of barriers.

“With Life After and the partnership we have with the North West Road Safety Partnership, we are really looking to strengthen the message within the North West region, including Donegal.

“There is very little support for families after, so when we go in to provide support after the funeral, I have seen the raw end of it.

“Working with families afterwards, I am finding speed is the main killer.

“Road safety is vitally important; we are losing too many family members. In our last meeting for the Road Safety Partnership last Friday, before we started, we read off 13 names that have died on the roads in Northern Ireland and Donegal. Since our last meeting in August and since Friday, we have had two more people tragically pass away on the roads.”