Harrowing adverts to hammer home road safety message

Two harrowing road safety advertisements depicting the deaths of two pedestrians are to be screened on both sides of the border in a bid to cut spiralling road fatalities.

The advertisements, sponsored by AXA Insurance and promoted in the Republic by the National Safety Council, and in Northern Ireland by the Department of Environment are the latest in a series of hard-hitting advertisements to be screened.

A spokesman for the National Safety Council admitted yesterday that the advertisements were "harrowing", but contends they realistically depict the consequences of a road crash.