Lydia Ross, 21, tragically died in Co Derry collision last month
The number of road fatalities and serious injuries is the highest in eight years.
Last year there were 71 road deaths and over 600 people injured.
One of the last tragic deaths on our roads was that of 21-year-old Lydia Ross who lost her life in a collision in Co Derry at the end of December.
Said the Foyle MLA: “The massive budget cuts we’re seeing in terms of road safety advertising campaigns, education and road maintenance are part and parcel to the increase in fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.
“Ongoing pressures facing the Department for Infrastructure and PSNI have demolished the pillars of road safety.
“An urgent rethink is needed in terms of funding- at the same time we’re witnessing a record number of road deaths there have been a record number of speeding fines.
“The money generated through enforcement should be reinvested in road safety initiatives to maximise its benefit and most importantly to save lives rather than being ploughed back into speed detection cameras.
“This is a sensible and workable solution and one which I put to DfI and the Chief Constable at the last meeting of the Policing Board.
“We cannot afford to dither and delay on such a crucial issue particular at a time when the department can’t even carry out basic maintenance on the road network.
“No family should suffer the tragic and preventable death of a loved one on our roads.
“I’ll continue to liaise with the Road Safety Partnership to see how their income could be strategically spent across government departments.
“In the meantime, we all have a shared responsibility to make our roads safer, to be aware of vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists, especially during the darker winter evenings.
“Be visible, be seen but drivers first and foremost must slow down. We can all play our part to keep safe and to save lives.”
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