Publication of road safety issues in Northern Ireland 2016/2017

The Road Safety Issues in Northern Ireland 2016/2017 report is now available. This report, produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), presents findings from the 2016/2017 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) and this is the first year that this question set was included in the CHS.

The publication is available on the ASRB website at:

• Statistics and Research - Road Safety Research

Key Points

• The majority of respondents (65%) said they would not travel as a passenger in a car where the driver has had one alcoholic drink; 35% stated they would.
• Just over one-quarter (27%) of respondents thought it was acceptable to drive after one alcoholic drink; while under one-fifth (19%) said they normally drive after one alcoholic drink.
• Just over one-fifth (21%) of drivers said they would normally drive the morning after they had been drinking four (for women) or five (for men) or more alcoholic drinks.
• Nine in ten respondents thought that police should have the power to seize a vehicle if a driver was driving under the influence of drink (91%) or drugs (90%).
• Over three-quarters (78%) of respondents thought a 20mph speed limit should be applied outside schools and 71% thought it should be applied to an area where children play. Half of respondents thought a 20mph speed limit should be more widely used.
• Approximately half of drivers (49%) reported they never normally exceed the speed limit; however, 44% of drivers stated they exceed the speed limit on motorways, this was followed by dual carriageways (29%) and reduced to 3% for roads in ‘built-up’ areas.

Notes to editors: 

1. The information presented in this publication derives from the 2016/2017 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to the attitudes, awareness and behaviours of respondents to specific road safety issues. The topics included are drinking and driving, vehicle seizure and speed limits. This was the first year that this question set was included in the CHS.  The CHS is considered to be a representative sample of the population at household level.
2. A total of 3,262 adults aged 16 and over were surveyed in 2016/2017 and 3,250 provided a response to the initial question.
3. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and its road safety partners are committed to promoting improved road safety, and to deliver better regulation of the transport sector.  An annual programme of research and statistical investigations into road safety problems in Northern Ireland continues to be developed and implemented in collaboration with road safety partner organisations. The results from this report form part of that research programme.
4. This is an Official Statistics publication and therefore follows the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. You can find further information about the Code of Practice.
5. For further information please contact: Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch, Department for Infrastructure, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8GB.

• Tel (public enquiries): 028 9054 0865 (Text relay prefix 18001)
• E-mail: ASRB@nisra.gov.uk
• Website: DfI Statistics and Research

All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office on 028 9054 0007 or email: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or out of hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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