A new road safety campaign has been launched across a popular UK region as ministers consider plans that could see speed limits reduced on some roads.
Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has unveiled two adverts aimed at tackling dangerous driving and speeding throughout the region.
The campaign, which launched this week, specifically targets two of the main causes of deaths and serious injuries on the roads, excessive speed and driver behaviour.
The initiative comes after the Department for Infrastructure began consulting on several speed-related policies earlier this year, including proposals to lower national speed limits on rural roads and dual carriageways, as well as expand 20mph zones.
Launching the campaign, Ms Kimmins warned that people dying on Northern Ireland’s roads from preventable incidents was unacceptable.
She said: “Too many people are dying on our roads, something that has been brought into sharp focus within recent weeks. We are only just into the third month of 2026 and, tragically, 15 people have lost their lives.
“We must all do everything we can to ensure no more families are plunged into the unimaginable and life-changing grief that road deaths bring to their door.”
The two new adverts, titled “Priority List” and “Control or Speed”, aim to highlight the everyday choices drivers make behind the wheel and the consequences those decisions can have.
The campaign targets speeding and other dangerous driving habits in Northern Ireland
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PAAccording to the Department, the campaign aims to highlight the impact of dangerous behaviours such as a lack of attention on the road, driving too close to the vehicle in front, and momentary distractions.
Ms Kimmins continued, saying: “The first campaign, ‘Priority List’, challenges the everyday choices drivers make that lead to collisions – inattention, driving too close, and momentary distractions.
“These may seem minor in the moment, but they can have devastating, life-changing consequences. The campaign highlights how a split-second decision to take a risk can end in tragedy, a scenario many of us will sadly recognise.“
The consultation also looked to increase the speed limits of HGVs on dual carriageways
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GETTYThe second campaign focuses specifically on the dangers of speeding with “Control or Speed”, designed to challenge the belief that motorists can drive quickly while remaining fully in control.
It aims to focus specifically on rural roads where drivers are more likely to face difficulties, especially at speeds exceeding the limit.
Ms Kimmins added: “Despite the risks, many drivers believe they are in control when speeding. However, evidence shows that speed reduces reaction time, increases stopping distances, and leads to more severe outcomes.
“The message of this campaign, entitled ‘Control or Speed’, is simple: you can have control, or you can have speed – but you cannot have both.”
The 20mph speed limit proposals hoped to help create safer roads
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PAThe adverts will start to run across television, radio, online platforms and outdoor advertising sites in the near future.
Alongside the campaign, the Department for Infrastructure is currently reviewing several potential changes to speed limits.
This includes national speed limits on rural roads and dual carriageways, limits for heavy goods vehicles, and the wider use of 20mph zones in towns and cities.
Currently, Northern Ireland has only 20mph schemes in 20 locations, with around 33 advisory zones and approximately 700 roads with traffic-calming measures, the review stated.
The consultation will run until April 22, with drivers urged to share feedback before any official changes take effect.
