Councillor Alan Barr
Braid Ulster Unionist Councillor, Alan Barr, has highlighted the issue of speeding on the Parkgate Road in Connor village.
Councillor Barr said he "fears that speed will eventually cause death or injury on the road". He continued:
"During my election campaign, I promised to ensure safer communities. One aspect of this is promoting road safety. According to PSNI statistics, ten pedestrians have been killed on Northern Ireland’s roads since January 2023 - these figures are far too high.
"Speed plays a significant role in causing such deaths on our roads and speed limits are set for a reason. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the risk of a pedestrian who is hit by a car being killed increases slowly until impact speeds reach 30 mph. Above this speed, the risk increases rapidly, so a pedestrian who is hit by a car travelling between 30 mph and 40 mph is between 3.5 and 5.5 times more likely to be killed than if hit by a car travelling below 30 mph."
Within the past month, there was a road traffic collision on this stretch of road. Consequently, a number of residents have contacted Councillor Barr regarding speeding concerns.
To assist in addressing this issue, Councillor Barr has requested a Speed Indication Device (SID) to be deployed on this stretch of road. The SID will make drivers more aware of their speeds which will result in them staying below the designated speed limit thus reducing the risk of death.
Additionally, Councillor Barr has requested a meeting with DfIRoads Service to establish if a permanent solution can be sought.