Northern Ireland road safety warning after 68 deaths in 2024

Mr O’Dowd offered sincere sympathies to the relatives of those who died and to those who had been injured.

“In the north, the death rate on our roads is, on average, one per week,” he added.

“That means every single week, at least one person – a mum, a dad, a son, a daughter, a friend – is not coming home.

“Lives are shattered and will never be the same again.”

A total of eight pedestrians, 38 drivers of vehicles, 12 passengers, and seven motorcyclists were among those who died in road traffic collisions in 2024.

Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible for policies and legislation governing road usage in Northern Ireland.

It has said it is “actively committed to improving road safety in partnership with the PSNI, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Ambulance Service and other agencies”.

Mr O’Dowd said road traffic collisions are “not inevitable” and appealed to “everyone to think about your behaviour when using the roads” in 2025.

“Make a potentially life-saving choice to be more mindful of others and proceed with care, follow the rules of the road – they are there to protect us and help everyone get home safe,” he said.

“As we start a new year, the harsh truth is that we all need to wise up when we are using our roads, because if we don’t the number of deaths will continue to rise.”