The number of pedestrians killed on Northern Ireland roads in the first four months of this year, is just one less than 2021 and 2022 combined.
According to the latest PSNI stats on traffic collision deaths, eight lives have been lost between January and April 25.
In 2021 a total of three pedestrians died in road traffic collisions, while six more were lost in 2022.
Read more: Call for School Streets Scheme builds as car journeys to school rise in NI
Of the total killed far this year, one was a baby being pushed in a pram, two were between 16 and 24, four were aged from 25-64 and one was a pensioner.
The alarming figures also show both children killed on our roads since 2021, were both pedestrians.
A boy, one, died and his grandmother was injured in a collision with a lorry on Moira’s Main Street on March 8.
While eight-year-old Harry Kubbin died after being struck by a car as he crossed the Rowreagh Road in Kircubbin on August 31, 2021.
Sustrans Northern Ireland Director, Caroline Bloomfield said: “We are very concerned at the high level of pedestrian fatalities on our roads.
“It is a trend that we are seeing across the UK where vehicles have got safer for drivers and passengers but are more dangerous for people on our streets.
“We need safer infrastructure for vulnerable road users – both pedestrians and people cycling.
“It is a very worrying time when we hear there could be budget cuts to infrastructure including street lighting which could make the situation worse.
“Among the most vulnerable road users are our children who should not have to run the gauntlet of dangerous roads to get to school.
“Our annual audit of infrastructure around the schools we work in show some don’t even have footpaths and many are beside roads with speeds of 60mph.
“We have been calling on government to implement a programme of Safe Routes to Schools and pilot a School Streets project where streets are closed to traffic around school run times.
“We are the only part of the UK or Ireland without a School Streets initiative which is both effective and inexpensive.”
Joan Devlin, Chief Executive of Belfast Healthy Cities, said: "Road safety is an extremely important issue. In urban areas dependency on cars for even short journeys is extremely high, despite the fact many of these trips could be made by walking.
"The benefits of walking cover both health and environment, but it is important that people, especially children, are able to make these trips safely. This means ensuring safe crossing points, as well as taking steps to reduce speed and volume of vehicles on the road.
“One of the most effective programmes Belfast Healthy Cities has been involved in is the Walking Bus project. More than half of school children in Belfast live within walking distance of their school, but too often are driven to the school gates. Working with schools we have helped them to develop programmes where staff walk groups of children from locations near the school.
"The walking bus ensures that children learn about road safety. These are extremely effective ways to reduce traffic at schools, which in turn makes the areas safer as there is not a cavalcade of cars stopping, with children jumping out. This is just one element of improving road safety, and schools are already seeing the huge benefits it is bringing."
Twelve nurseries and schools across Northern Ireland are hoping to educate 300 youngsters about dangers on the roads through Brake’s Beep Beep! Day on April 26.
The road safety charity says 10 children under seven are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every week.
They hope teaching children about safety basics like holding adults’ hands near roads and on crossings and using a secure car seat – even on very short journeys will help reduce those figures.
Lucy Straker, campaigns manager at Brake, said: “Beep Beep! Day is a great opportunity to start a conversation with our children about how to be safe around the road and why it is so important.
“I would like to thank everyone who is taking part – and especially the kids – for making this the biggest Beep Beep! Day yet.”
Brake recently surveyed 2,030 parents and carers of children aged 2–11 to understand behaviours and concerns they may have about their children’s journeys.
Brake said they learned over three-quarters (77%) of people would like to walk or cycle more often with their children.
When asked what factors would encourage them to walk or cycle more, the most popular reasons given were if they had more time (37%) or the journey was shorter (36%).
Safety factors were next highest ranked by respondents, who told us they needed safe cycle paths (34%), pavements and footpaths (33%) to enable them to walk or cycle more often.
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