Motorists urged to be vigilant on Northern Ireland roads as crash statistics revealed

The statistics from the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) also show that the majority of careless driving casualties (63%) were male.

Men were responsible for 70% of all fatal and serious road traffic collisions (KSI) caused by careless driving between 2012 and 2021 in Northern Ireland, new figures have revealed.

The statistics from the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) also show that the majority of careless driving casualties (63%) were male.

Overall there have been 4,332 casualties on Northern Ireland's roads since 2012 caused by careless driving.

The figures from the Department for Infrastructure highlight a range of trends regarding careless driving on our roads.

They highlight how fatal and serious road traffic collision casualties (KSIs) have fallen by 35% since 2002 and are down 17% from the 2004-08 baseline.

The figures also show that those aged between 35-49 accounted for the highest level of careless driving causalities (21%), followed by the 50-64 age group (20%), while those aged 16-24 were the least responsible for such accidents (19%).

The majority of careless driving casualties since 2012 have been car drivers (60%). followed by car passengers (19%), motorcyclists (16%), pedestrians (11%) and cyclists (10%).

Additionally, car drivers were responsible for the majority (57%) of their own injuries with 1,025 out of the 1,803.

Almost half (47%) of all careless driving serious crashed happened between 1pm and 7pm.

In response to the new statistics the Department for Infrastructure said: "The evidence shows that more than 95% of road traffic collisions, where someone is killed or seriously injured, is due to human error such as a choice to speed, drink or drug driving or driving carelessly or while distracted.

"People driving or riding carelessly is the cause behind the majority of deaths and serious injuries on our roads here. "Most collisions are avoidable. Careless driving is made up of many behaviours including inattention or distraction, wrong course position and driving too close amongst others and is the biggest cause of deaths and serious injuries. "As we use the roads as drivers and riders, we need to be extra vigilant – pay attention to our surroundings, ignore in-car distractions, give extra consideration to more vulnerable people, such as those who walk or ride and children and older road users.

"Every one of us has a role to play in preventing deaths and injuries on our roads. Just as with speeding, drink or drug driving or failure to wear your seatbelt, if you drive carelessly, you run the very real risk of killing or seriously injuring yourself, your passengers or some other innocent road user.

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