Newry Armagh Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Boylan shocked by road deaths

Published: 25 November, 2008

Sinn Féin Road Safety spokesperson in the North, Cathal Boylan, has expressed his shock and frustration on a disastrous weekend on the roads which has seen 10 people lose their lives throughout Ireland.

It brings the total killed in RTA's so far this year to 98 in the Six Counties, while a further 259 have lost their lives in the 26 Counties, an island wide total of 357.

'My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones over the last number of days. We must remember that each victim will have left behind grieving relatives and communities - each will have an individual impact on those closest to them.'

'It is especially sad when we are only weeks away from the Christmas festivities. Many households will not be celebrating this year and regrettably, there will be many spouses, partners, mothers, fathers and children who will be dreading the coming New Year and wondering how they can face the future without that special person which they have lost in such tragic and unexpected circumstances.'

The Newry and Armagh MLA appealed to all motorists;

'I would ask all drivers to once again try and learn a lesson from these terrible accidents. Slow down, and take into account the weather conditions when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. No one wants to be another statistic - especially that of being the 100th person to die on our roads in the North. Think of the impact a death in a road traffic accident has on families and communities - play your part in ensuring that you are not responsible for that grief and loss by taking extra care on the road.'