Craigavon has highest road deaths in area

And the district also had the most serious injuries to children over the past two years with the greatest number also in the Craigavon area.

There were 23 children injured in the past year compared to 19 the previous year in the E district.

Indeed Craigavon had the highest number of seriously injured children across roads in Northern Ireland with eight in total during 2011/12.

In the past year four people have died on our roads in Craigavon compared to three in 2010/11. There were 58 seriously injured and 400 slightly injured in the past year compared to 52 seriously injured and 308 slightly injured the previous year.

A total of 45 children were slightly injured on the roads in Craigavon in the past year as well as eight who suffered serious injuries. This is up on the previous year when there were 39 slightly injured and eight also seriously injured.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “It is disappointing to see the slight increase in the number of those killed and injured on our roads in the last year, particularly given the amount of resources dedicated to educating drivers and other road users about safe conduct on the roads.

“In Craigavon police are continually spreading road safety messages. The Road Safety Roadshow, targeted at young drivers, visits local schools to educate and advise on proper conduct on our roads and what can happen when you don’t adhere to the law.

“Local neighbourhood policing teams also attend local schools, both primary and secondary, to reinforce road safety messages and the steps everyone can take to protect themselves on the roads.

“Numbers of fatalities and injuries on our roads have been decreasing over the last decade, however, speeding and drink driving remain the biggest causes of collisions which kill and seriously injure people on roads across Northern Ireland.

“Our message to drivers and riders is very simple - if you speed, take drink or drugs and drive, fail to wear your seatbelt, drive carelessly or dangerously, you run the real risk of killing or seriously injuring yourself, your passengers or some other innocent road user.

“All road users have a role to play in preventing deaths and injuries on our roads. All we ask is that drivers slow down, do not drive after drinking or taking drugs, wear a seatbelt and drive with greater care and attention.”