Northern Environment Minister to tackle road deaths

Tackling the carnage on the North's roads is a priority newly appointed Environment Minister Arlene Foster said today after four deaths on a single day.

A 17-year-old youth driving his first car and three motorcyclists, one from Glasgow, were among those who died.

Pledging action Ms Foster said: "We can't continue with the road toll we have at the moment."

Expressing her deepest condolences to the families of those who died, Ms Foster said: "You can rest assured that I will make this as a very important part of my portfolio."

The death toll on the North's roads is already 46 this year.

The teenager who died was named as Callum McComskey who would have celebrated his 18th birthday next month.

He was killed when the car he was driving crashed off the Ballyvalley Road near Mayobridge, Co Down in the early hours of Saturday morning and hit a tree.

His uncle, Finn Rooney, said the newly qualified driver had only been able to get insurance for a small car and it had not been strong enough to survive the impact with the tree.

He said: "The police liaison officer said there was very little speed involved."

A motorcyclist from Glasgow, 45-year-old Iain McDonald died when his bike was in collision with a car on the Seacoast Road at Limavady, Co Londonderry.

It was believed he was in Northern Ireland for the weekend for the North West 200 motorcycle road races on Ulster's north coast.

Two more motorcyclists died close to the race circuit when their bike was in collision with two cars on the Portstewart Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry .

They were named as Trevor Connor, 39 and Sadie McClarty, 36, both from Ballymoney, Co Antrim.

Urging action by the new Executive, Ian James Parsley , the Alliance Party's youth affairs spokesman said: "The calls for safer roads structures, better driver education and more appropriate enforcement of the rules of the road have been made loud and clear.

"In one specific case, subsidies on young driver's insurance as advocated some time ago would have enabled a young man to drive a newer, safer car which could, it appears, have saved his life."