As Minister for Infrastructure part of my responsibility is promoting and improving road safety.
This is a responsibility I take very seriously.
Too many people sadly lose their lives or are seriously injured as a result of careless driving and that is a tragedy for their families and friends.
We all know the dangers of drink/drug driving, excessive speed for the road or conditions and that wearing a seatbelt can save our life if involved in a collision.
Read more: Careless driving to become fixed penalty notice offence in Northern Ireland under new legislation
However, perhaps we are not aware of the potentially serious consequences of careless driving. In fact, careless driving accounts for the majority, 53%, of people killed or seriously injured on the roads here.
I have made it clear that I take a zero tolerance approach to irresponsible behaviour on the roads and I am working with road safety partners in the PSNI, the Fire & Rescue Service, the Ambulance Service and many other agencies to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries across our roads network.
Careless driving is a serious issue and I am committed to doing all I can to deter those who blatantly show disregard for other road users and to highlight the dangers of such actions.
I recently announced that following a consultation exercise, legislation will be taken forward to make careless driving a fixed penalty notice offence with a penalty of £100 and 3 penalty points, in line with the legislation in GB. I am doing this with the full support of both the PSNI and the Department of Justice.
This change will make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers. It will increase the likelihood of drivers who are guilty of this offence being caught and punished appropriately and I believe this is an important deterrent.
It will also reduce the number of minor motoring offences coming before our courts, deflecting police and prosecution resources away from more serious and contested criminal issues. However, more serious examples of careless driving will continue to go through court as appropriate.
I have also commissioned a new road safety public information campaign addressing careless driving which will be launched later this year.
This campaign will raise awareness of the dangers of careless driving and help influence our behaviours as road users. I would urge everyone to take heed of the messages and think about the potential devastating consequences of driving carelessly. By taking care on the roads serious injuries will be prevented and lives will be saved.
Too many families have lost loved ones, with over 95% of all road deaths and serious injuries due to human error, that is a staggering statistic that we need to change.
Behind these statistics are sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, families whose lives have been turned upside down, their hearts broken. It is for all of us to do more to protect each other while on the road.
It is my hope that the actions my Department is taking will bring real change and ensure more lives are saved not lost.
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