Olympian Ciara Mageean is the latest high-profile sports
personality to support a road safety campaign to reduce road
deaths.
The Portaferry athlete has signed up to the Department for
Infrastructure's Share the Road to Zero campaign, which
encourages greater responsibility and care on our roads.
Mageean joins a growing list of well-known sports stars backing
the initiative, including Liverpool and Northern Ireland
footballer Conor Bradley, senior women's footballer Emily Wilson,
Ulster Rugby trio Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney, and Michael
Lowry, Ulster GAA star Rory Grugan, and Belfast Giants.
The 1500m European Champion added gold to her previous
silver and bronze medals at last summer's championships in
Rome. Currently recovering from surgery that forced her
withdrawal from the 2024 Olympic Games, Mageean is focused on
returning to competition and has her sights set on the World
Championships in Tokyo this September.
Speaking about supporting the campaign, Ciara Mageean said: "I'm
proud to add my voice to the Department for Infrastructure's
Share the Road to Zero campaign. When I race, speed is essential
- but on the road, excessive speed can be deadly.
“As drivers, we must always adjust our speed to suit the road
conditions. Coming from a rural area in County Down, I know
firsthand the challenges of country roads - sharp bends, poor
visibility, and unexpected obstacles like pedestrians, cyclists,
motorcyclists, horse riders, and slow-moving farm vehicles. We
must anticipate these at every turn and drive with caution."
Sadly, 69 people lost their lives on roads in the north in 2024.
Hundreds of people were also seriously injured.
Two-thirds of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic
collisions occur on rural roads.
So far this year 12 people have lost their lives on our roads.
Minister said: “I am
delighted that Ciara has signed up to our Share the Road to Zero
Campaign.
“Ciara is a brilliant role model for our young people,
many of whom are new drivers on our roads.
“Ciara's message is particularly important over the
Easter holidays when many of us will be on the roads going on
breaks and visiting friends and relatives. The number of deaths
on our roads is of great concern and each loss leaves many
families, friends and communities devastated.
“One of the best ways to ensure safety on our roads and
fulfil our long-term goal of eliminating death and serious injury
by 2050, is by changing road user behaviour.
“We all have a personal responsibility to behave in a way
that keeps ourselves and others safe and this campaign reminds us
of that. The sad reality is that if we do not change our own
attitudes when we are using the roads, our death toll will
continue to increase.”
Pledging to ‘Share the Road to Zero' can be done online
via: Share the Road to
Zero as an individual or as an
organisation.
