Cross - border pedestrian road safety initiative will save lives

The National Safety Council in the Republic and the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland recently launched a cross-border road safety initiative aimed at reducing the number of pedestrians killed on our roads. Here John Loughran reviews the initiative.

In the period 1991 to 2000 almost 1,500 pedestrians lost their lives in road traffic accidents on the island of Ireland. In comparison terms, we are speaking about the entire population of a small town being wiped out.
The National Safety Council (NSC) in the Republic and the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland (DOE) have developed a hard hitting campaign, supported by AXA Insurance, aimed at getting drivers and pedestrians to pay attention on the roads. The main plank of the campaign is centred around two TV commercials: 'Texting' and 'Home' which graphically portrays the consequences of just one moment's inattention by either a pedestrian or a driver.

Launched on November 13 in the Odyssey Pavilion in Belfast, this is the fourth road safety campaign in as many years, commissioned by the NSC and DOE with the support of AXA Insurance. It follows on from 'Slow down boys' (anti-speeding), 'Shame' (anti-drink drive) and 'Damage' (seatbelts).

Angela Smith MP of the DOE in launching the campaign said that we should not accept the death of 1,5000 pedestrians on the roads, as a fact of life, or a consequence of modern day living. She added: "There is no reason why we should. So many lives are lost needlessly, because drivers and pedestrians do not exercise proper care and fail to behave appropriately on the roads."

"The aim of this campaign is to raise pedestrian safety to the top of the road safety agenda and to prompt a change of attitude and behaviour on both drivers and pedestrians. Pedestrian safety is a major concern. Whether you drive on the roads or walk on the roads, it concerns you. The campaign message is simple: pay attention or pay the price."

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (with responsibility for road haulage) Dr James McDaid also attended the launch. Dr McDaid said that pedestrians accounted for a quarter of all road fatalities - a statistic that provided a frightening backdrop to the launch of the campaign.

He added: "I share Minister Smith's concerns and support her contention that actions, such as this campaign, need to be focused on this vulnerable group of road users. People need to pay attention when using the roads, whether they are pedestrians or drivers. The problems for pedestrians are the same whether they are in the North of the South."

He continued: "Road safety awareness campaigns can be particularly effective in the North / South context. They generate economies of scale both in terms of budget and of television and other media exposure. It is good therefore that DOE Northern Ireland and the National Safety Council are well advanced in practical cooperation on road safety campaigns."

Speaking at the launch Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne said: "An Garda Siochana welcomes another series of high impact commercials from the National Safety Council, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Department of Environment, on this occasion focusing on pedestrians."

"These commercials will help in achieving the Government strategy of improving road user behaviour, which will ultimately lead to a reduction in deaths and life changing injuries on Irish roads."
Chief Inspector Brian McKee of the Police Service of Northern Ireland echoed Commissioner Byrne's sentiments and added: "Every year approximately 40 pedestrians are killed and more than 300 are seriously injured on the roads of Northern Ireland. This is unacceptable to the Police Service and must be unacceptable to our community."

"Parents must educate their children to the dangers of the roads. Young people and adults must look and think about the flow and speed of vehicles on the road before crossing and drivers must pay attention to the road around them. If you drive dangerously and kill a pedestrian you could face up to 10 years in prison."
Eddie Shaw of the NSC said: "Pedestrians and motorists need to wake up to the reality that they have a personal obligation to ensure their own safety and the safety of others at all times when using our roads. I firmly believe that this AXA sponsored advertising campaign will foster a greater sense of responsibility amongst all road users."

AXA Insurance has been involved with the NSC and the DOE for the past four years in promoting road safety. AXA's chief executive John O'Neill commented: "Often when we think of road traffic casualties we think of drivers and passengers - the fact is that a quarter of those killed on our roads are pedestrians."
"In this campaign sponsored by AXA, we want people to be acutely aware of the vulnerability of pedestrians and we want pedestrians and drivers to be more aware of their personal responsibility to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The road is a dangerous place. For all our sakes, as drivers aned pedestrians, please pay attention."

Students from Northern Ireland and the Republic attended the launch of the new campaign. Many of those who attended were "visibly shaken" by the TV advertisements. The broadcasting authorities on both sides of the border have imposed a 9.00pm restriction on showing the commercials, which are being aired on both RTE and UTV.