Ballymoney Rotary Club host road safety experience to show dangers of using phone while driving
Ballymoney school pupils witnessed the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving thanks to a road safety event organised by Ballymoney Rotary Club.
The Rotary Club in partnership with Ballymoney & Moyle Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, Dr Ian Erskine from Antrim Area Hospital A&E Department and Debbie Mullan, Chairperson of Road Victim Support Northern Ireland Donegal, undertook their Just One Life safe driving initiative aimed at newly qualified drivers and those planning to learn to drive.
Year 12 pupils from Ballymoney schools joined together at Dalriada School to see the consequences resulting from a young driver driving at speed while using a mobile phone.
Pupils and staff got to see live a Police response to a simulated road traffic collision with the Fire Service using specialised equipment to take the roof off one vehicle and extracting the passenger on a spinal board.
The doors of the second vehicle were prised open to free trapped passengers, with pupils from participating schools acting as casualties with realistic make-up provided by the drama department at Dalriada.
The driver of a vehicle was breathalysed and arrested for multiple road traffic offences.
Afterwards, pupils heard Debbie Mullan’s personal experience of losing her son due to a road traffic collision. Debbie is the Chairperson and a trauma and grief counsellor for Road Victim Support Northern Ireland Donegal, dedicated to offering support and assistance to individuals and families affected by road traffic collisions on the roads of Northern Ireland and Donegal.
A hard-hitting presentation was then given by Dr Ian Erskine, a consultant who responds to incidents to provide lifesaving interventions. This was followed by a question-and-answer session.
Causeway Coast and Glens Mayor, Cllr Oliver McMullan was in attendance to endorse the importance of the message and a minute’s silence was held to remember the 56 deaths on our roads during 2025.
56 pairs of empty shoes provided by Ballymoney Hospice Shop lined the stage to represent each one of the people killed.
Causeway Coast and Glens Council Policing and Community Safety Partnership provided essential support and without this support this event would not have been possible.