Carol O'Connor ADI

14/10/2026

🚗 LET’S CALL THEM WHAT THEY ARE: COLLISIONS, NOT ACCIDENTS.

At Road Safe NI Charity, we believe that the language we use matters. So does the way we use our roads.
The graphic highlights a powerful message: 95% of crashes are collisions, while just 5% are accidents. Behind every statistic is a real person, a family, and a community that could be affected forever.
Too often, the word accident suggests that a collision was unavoidable. But many collisions are linked to choices made by road users — choices that can have serious, life-changing or fatal consequences.
📱 Looking at a mobile phone instead of the road. 🍺 Choosing to drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. 💨 Driving too fast for the conditions. 🚦 Ignoring traffic signals or road signs. 🚗 Following too closely or driving aggressively. 🪢 Failing to wear a seatbelt.
These are not just minor decisions. They can be the difference between arriving home safely and a family receiving the worst possible news.
Every choice matters. Every journey matters. Every life matters.
As Road Safe NI Charity, we are committed to raising awareness, promoting safer road use and encouraging everyone to take responsibility for their actions on the road.
We cannot control every situation we encounter, but we can control many of the decisions we make. By slowing down, staying focused, driving responsibly and looking out for one another, we can all help make our roads safer.
Let's stop treating preventable collisions as if they are simply bad luck. Let's recognise the role our choices can play and take action to prevent needless suffering.
💚 Make the right choice. Protect a life. Get home safely.
Because working together saves lives.

08/10/2026

We all have a personal responsibility as road users to behave in a way that keeps ourselves and others safe. Remember, it is your legal responsibility to keep your car in a roadworthy condition at all times, regardless of its MOT status.

nidirect

01/10/2026

Today is the day. It’s GDL day.

🚗 Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK to introduce Graduated Driver Licensing.

⚠️The new rules aim to improve road safety, especially for younger drivers.

09/09/2026

02/09/2026

⚠️ Thinking of Buying Your Child an E-Scooter for Christmas? Please Read This First.
Christmas may still be a few months away, but many parents and grandparents will already be thinking about presents. If an e-scooter is on the Christmas list, Road Safe NI Charity is asking you to know the law before you buy.

In Northern Ireland, privately owned e-scooters cannot legally be ridden on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes or other public spaces. They can generally only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. The Department for Infrastructure has confirmed that e-scooters are treated as motor vehicles under current legislation.

This isn't simply about avoiding trouble with the law. Your child could have their e-scooter seized by police. PSNI figures show that 28 e-scooters were seized in 2024/25, while police have continued enforcement action during 2026.
There is also a very real road safety issue. E-scooters can travel quickly, have small wheels and offer virtually no protection if something goes wrong. PSNI recorded 41 injury collisions involving e-scooters during 2024/25, up from 32 the previous year and 25 in 2022/23.

So before spending hundreds of pounds on an e-scooter this Christmas, please ask yourself: Where is my child actually going to use it legally and safely?

A present that looks exciting on Christmas morning could result in an e-scooter being seized—or, much worse, a child being seriously injured.

Know the law. Understand the risks. Think before you buy.
Protecting our children is everyone's responsibility.
Road Safe NI Charity�Working Together Saves Lives

31/07/2026

Reposting cor you

31/07/2026

What a happy Friday for Emily Aiken.

Emily I am so delighted for you that you passed your test today with a great result. Your smile says it all. A proud dad today into the mix.
Wishing you many years of safe and happy driving. Go and enjoy your wee car and your independence. 🚗🚗🚗

24/07/2026

With the recent good weather, our roads are busier than ever with cyclists enjoying the good conditions.
As part of Operation Close Pass in Derry, a police cyclist worked in direct communication with a Maydown Interceptor unit, ready to respond to the vehicles failing to give safe passing distance.

Motorists, please remember:
Give cyclists at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) of space when overtaking and consider even more space at higher speeds.
Always signal your intention to move out before overtaking, if it will help or warn other road users of their presence.
Treat cyclists like any other vehicle — never cut in sharply after overtaking.

Remember it's a shared road space, safe passing saves lives.

21/07/2026

Words well spoken.

🚗 Let's Talk Test Readiness... 🚗

One thing I hear quite a lot, especially now approaching the new GDL laws;

"I've done around 20 hours now... why can't I book my driving test?"

It's a fair question, but here's a different way of looking at it...

If you were studying for GCSEs, A-levels or a university degree, would you expect to sit your final exam after only 20 hours of lessons?

Twenty hours is the equivalent of just over two days in a classroom.

You'd probably still be learning the basics.

Driving is no different.

In those first 15–20 hours, you're usually still developing the core skills:
✅ Clutch control
✅ Junctions
✅ Roundabouts
✅ Manoeuvres
✅ Reading the road
✅ Planning ahead
✅ Building confidence

Being able to drive isn't the same as being able to pass a driving test. A driving test expects you to deal with unfamiliar roads, changing traffic conditions and make safe, independent decisions for around 40 minutes with very few mistakes.

That's why I don't work towards an arbitrary number of hours. I work towards a standard.

Some learners reach that standard quicker than others. Some need a little longer. Neither is right or wrong—everyone learns differently.

I'd much rather tell someone they're not quite ready yet than send them for a test they have little chance of passing. It might not always be what they want to hear, but it's what they need to hear.

The aim has never been to get you to test day as quickly as possible.

The aim is to get you there properly prepared, with the confidence and ability to pass—and more importantly, to stay safe once those L plates come off.

Derren Crawford & Darvin Crawford
Crawford School of Motoring
07355806484 📲
Contact for bookings 🪪

03/07/2026

Congratulations Teagan Cunningham!!

What a joy to see those tears of joy. You did so well today and proved what a great wee driver you are. I'm delighted for you seeing you get your licence. See you on the roads soon. 🚗🚗🚗