Further speed traps are to be requested in Richhill after ongoing concerns by locals that lives could be lost.
A local dental practice recently highlighted on Facebook how a member of staff had had a near miss, forced to veer into a hedge to avoid a car which had overtaken a lorry.
The incident happened on the Legacorry Road and was shared, to warn others, on the ‘Richhill Page’.
Describing it as a “close call”, the dental practice posted: “There’s been more than enough carnage on the roads the past few years, don’t add to it!”
Local DUP Alderman Gareth Wilson highlighted the issue and welcomed react activities which saw speed traps mounted on the Annareagh and Legacorry Roads on Friday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 16.
He thanked the PSNI for their “proactive response to residents’ concerns on speeding in Richhill” and added: “It was a very useful exercise in which a number of drivers were educated on speed by PSNI officers.
“This was a useful and important speeding operation and it comes after a number of concerning incidents in Richhill where drivers were seen to overtake vehicles within 30mph limits in the village putting themselves and other drivers at risk.
“Richhill is a busy village especially with schools and people commuting to their employment and inevitably some individuals will be in a rush, however, that is no excuse for speeding or overtaking on roads within the 30mph limits as this only raises the risk to drivers and pedestrians and increases the risks of accidents.”
“Following concerns expressed on the issue I contacted the PSNI and I am pleased that two speed radar operations were put in place over two days and whilst no concerning speeds were noted during the traps, some drivers were spoken to on speeds that were just below the enforceable limits.
“I will be requesting further traps on other roads within the village, including Sleepy Valley, in response to specific concerns and hopefully the general message of driving with care will filter through to all road users in the interests of safety for everyone.”
The police efforts in Richhill on the Wednesday were specifically part of a Northern Ireland-wide rooad safety operation, which saw around 700 detections for speeding.
The detections were made during Operation Lifesaver, which is the PSNI’s new approach to speeding, by officers and Road Safety Camera Vans.
Spanning all 11 policing districts, officers conducted almost 260 speeding operations across Northern Ireland.
Around 800 motoring offences were detected, of which approximately 700 were specifically for speeding.
Commenting on the figures, Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Operational Support Department said: “These figures show very clearly that there are drivers who are continuing to speed regardless of the potential consequences.
“Not only is that really disappointing, but it’s also very worrying because it shows that far too many drivers are putting their lives and other roads users lives at risk.
“Last year, in 2024, we made around 100,000 speeding detections across Northern Ireland. That is a shocking number of people, who for whatever reason they think is justified, found themselves with a fine and penalty points, or even under arrest and in court.
“Even more shockingly, a number of drivers have been caught speeding on multiple occasions. Clearly these drivers are not getting the message.”
Chief Superintendent Donaldson had this message for drivers ahead of the Easter holiday period.
“One of the greatest contributions each road user can make is to reduce their speed. Speeding is a dangerous crime and poses a serious threat to other road users and we, as a Police Service, have a duty to detect those who break the law and deal with any offences.
“If we all stop speeding, road safety improves, lives can be saved and fewer people have to contend with life-changing injuries.”
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