Anna Lo MLA said: “I am very concerned by the rise in road deaths in 2014. Every single death is a tragedy, and we must do all we can to ensure that no more lives are needlessly lost on our roads. I would like to express my sympathies to the families and friends of all those who died on our roads last year.
“There appeared to have been a downward trend in the number of deaths up to 2012, however this total has risen in the past two years. This requires urgent attention by the Environment Minister.
“While I recognise that the Minister faces severe budget difficulties, I believe that he must prioritise funding for road safety campaigns. Saving lives on our roads should be a high priority for the Minister.
“If the Department is unable to spend the same amount of money on television advertising, then they should consider thinking outside of the box and using social media and other free advertising methods to get their message across to road users.”