40.4 people per 100,000 in Derry/Strabane killed or seriously injured in road accidents

A new report, the ‘NI Road Safety Strategy Report to 2022: Annual Statistical Report 2022’ has found that the per capita rate for fatalities or serious casualties in road accidents in Derry and Strabane was 40.4 people killed or seriously injured per 100,000 people in 2021.

The report shows that the majority of ‘KSIs occurred in the east of the province, with a large cluster in and around Belfast’, however, it also points out that ‘there are clear clusters around other towns and cities, such as Derry and Newry and on main roads’.

Despite these clusters the rate in Derry is one of the lowest in the north.

The only areas with lower rate were Ards & North Down (39.5), Antrim & Newtownabbey (36.9) and Belfast (30.7).

The area with the highest rate was Fermanagh & Omagh (61.4).

The report was prepared by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure (DfI).

Its authors state: “Clusters around towns and cities are not unexpected as these are more heavily populated areas.”

It adds: “Belfast actually has the lowest rate of KSI casualties per population count (30.7) despite showing a large cluster of collisions...In contrast, Fermanagh & Omagh, and Newry, Mourne & Down have the highest rates of KSI casualties per population (61.4 and 58.9, respectively).

"This highlights the increased casualty risk on less densely populated, often rural roads where speed limits tend to be higher than in urban areas.”