Alliance Strangford MLA Kellie Armstrong has offered her support for a “New Driver Road Safety Pledge” launched by Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard during Road Safety Week.
Kellie Armstrong said: “Road Safety Week is a good opportunity for us all to stop for a moment to consider how we behave when driving. It can make us think about our driving habits, both good and bad and help us become safer on the roads. There are many distractions when we are behind the wheel and accidents can happen so quickly. That is why I commend this scheme for new drivers and urge all those who have recently passed their test to sign up.
“It is disappointing that at the start of Road Safety Week we learned from the Department for Infrastructure that the number of people convicted of driving under the influence of drink or drugs has risen by almost 40% in two years. This is despite high profile road safety campaigns graphically depicting the devastating consequences of drink driving. People need to realise that road safety applies to all drivers, and everyone behind the wheel of a vehicle has a responsibility, not just for their own safety, but also their passengers and other road users.”