Four dead on the district’s roads this year

A total of 57 people have died on roads across Northern Ireland this year and four of these have been in the Banbridge district.

Police say everyone needs to slow down, make sure vehicles are in roadworthy condition and take responsibility for behaviour on the road.

Inspector Nigel Graham, Banbridge Neighbourhood and Response, said: “We recently conducted a focused road safety operation across roads in Banbridge.

“From 7am to 3pm, officers conducted speed checks and vehicle checkpoints at different locations in Banbridge, Kinallen, Dromore and Rathfriland.

“In this short space of time 69 motorists were found to be speeding on our roads.

“A total of 34 motorists were detected on Banbridge Road, Dromore, ten were detected in Kinallen, close to a local primary school between 7.30am and 9am and two were detected in Katesbridge.

“Of the 69 motorists, 46 received £60 non-endorsable tickets, a prosecution file will be completed in relation to one person and 22 people received discretionary disposals.

“These are astounding figures and people should remember that discretionary disposals are no longer an option (from September 5, 2014) for the offences of: failure to wear a seatbelt, using a mobile phone while driving and exceeding the speed limit.

“Basically the message is simple - there is no hiding place for those who ignore road safety. We will continue our road safety operations, but our role is very much secondary.

“It is vital that every road user takes personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. 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.”