The results outline the behaviour, attitudes and awareness of the general public to road safety issues in Northern Ireland.
Key points from the survey:
1. Speeding
- 15% of motorists interviewed said they normally exceed the speed limit on roads in a built up area, 16% on roads outside a built up area, 30% on dual carriageways and 42% on motorways.
- Of those motorists interviewed who stated that they normally exceed the speed limit on motorways, 90% exceeded it by 5 miles per hour or more, with 5% saying they exceeded it by 21 miles per hour or more.
- Almost three fifths of motorists (58%) interviewed stated that they think it is likely that they would be stopped by the police if they were exceeding the speed limit.
- Around a third of respondents (34%) stated they feel it is fair that the police should issue speeding tickets with penalty points for drivers who exceed the speed limit by less than five mph on roads in a built up area.
2. Drinking and Driving
- 56% of respondents said they would not travel in a car in which the driver has had a single drink.
- Approximately two fifths of motorists interviewed who drink alcohol (41%) said they could not drink any alcohol without it affecting their driving.
- 36% of respondents think it is acceptable to drive after one drink. The level of acceptability declined as the number of drinks increased.
- 61% of respondents feel that motorists should not be allowed to drive after drinking any alcohol. (54% of male respondents, 66% of female respondents).
- The majority of respondents (87%) said that the police should be able to stop people at random and breathalyse them for driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Three fifths of respondents (60%) said they think the penalties for drinking and driving are not harsh enough.
3. Pedestrian Safety
- 92% of respondents said they would normally use a pedestrian crossing if they were at or near one.
- More than four fifths of respondents (83%) think that pedestrians are responsible for ensuring pedestrian safety on our roads.
- Over two thirds (68%) of respondents incorrectly think that the green man flashing signal means cross with care at a pedestrian crossing. It actually means do not start to cross.
4. Mobile Phones
- One in seven motorists interviewed who own a mobile phone (14%) stated that if using a mobile phone while driving, it is usually a hand held mobile.
- 60% of motorists interviewed who own a mobile phone said they never use a mobile phone while driving (51% of males, 69% of females).
- The majority of respondents (94%) said they did not agree that drivers should be allowed to use a hand held mobile phone while driving.
- Over half of respondents (56%) said they do not think it is likely that drivers using a hand held mobile phone will be caught by the police.
5. School Bus Signage and Lighting
- Three in ten motorists interviewed stated they would pass a bus that had stopped to let school children get on or off if they were driving behind it (34% of males, 25% of females).
- Nearly nine in ten motorists interviewed (89%) think that it is risky to pass a bus that has stopped to let school children get on or off.
- Nearly two thirds of motorists interviewed (65%) correctly identified the meaning of the school bus sign.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Northern Ireland Road Safety Monitor 2007 is the latest in a series of research into behaviour, attitudes, and awareness of key road safety issues in Northern Ireland. It is commissioned by the Department of the Environment and has been carried out since 1995.
In 2002, the survey was revised to reflect changing driving habits and to allow new topics to be explored.
The ‘Northern Ireland Road Safety Monitor 2007 Report’ represents the findings of the 2007 Road Safety Monitor, which was collected as part of the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey in May 2007 and includes questions on speeding, drinking and driving, pedestrian safety, mobile phones and school bus signage and lighting.
2. Hard and electronic copies of the ‘Northern Ireland Road Safety Monitor 2007 Report’ and the ‘Northern Ireland Road Safety Monitor 2007 Statistical Bulletin’ are available free of charge from:
Central Statistics and Research Branch,
Room 4.02,
Clarence Court,
10 - 18 Adelaide Street,
Belfast BT2 8GB
Telephone: (028) 9054 0390
E-mail: csrb@drdni.gov.uk
Website: Central Statistics and Research Branch
Media enquiries - please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours call EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
