Full Analysis Summary
Northern Ireland road deaths
Provisional figures from the PSNI show 57 people died on Northern Ireland’s roads in 2025, including 16 pedestrians — nine of them aged 65 or over — prompting urgent warnings from politicians and police to prioritise road safety as the new year begins.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins offered sympathy to victims and urged drivers to slow down, pay attention and avoid using phones, while the Department for Infrastructure said it is working with emergency services and partners on education, engineering and enforcement measures.
The statistics come as local policing leaders reiterated that reducing deaths depends on individual road users following basic safety steps.
Coverage Differences
Tone and emphasis
Belfast Live (Other) emphasizes statistics and multi-agency responses, naming the provisional PSNI figures and highlighting the number of pedestrians and older victims; Belfast Telegraph (Local Western) focuses on police messaging and personal responsibility with the ‘fatal five’; The Irish News (Local Western) centres on the human toll by listing victims and ages and expresses shock at deaths among vulnerable road users. The sources report similar facts but differ in tone: Belfast Live stresses data and partnership action, Belfast Telegraph stresses policing advice and individual responsibility, and The Irish News predominately recounts victims and community impact.
Coverage of fatal collisions
The Irish News catalogues the human cost of a series of fatal collisions across Northern Ireland in 2025, listing victims by name and location.
Reported victims ranged from 16 to 93 years old, including Jaidyn Rice (16) in Bangor, Jim McKee (81) in west Belfast, and Patrick Joseph Brady (93) in Rathfriland, highlighting the toll on pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
This detailed, named reporting contrasts with Belfast Live and the Belfast Telegraph, which focus on aggregate figures and official appeals rather than full victim lists.
Coverage Differences
Narrative focus
The Irish News (Local Western) provides granular, victim-focused reporting with names and ages, conveying community impact; Belfast Live (Other) focuses on headline statistics and policy responses; Belfast Telegraph (Local Western) stresses police advice and the ‘fatal five’. The Irish News reports the arrests and community reactions, while the other outlets largely report official statements and figures.
Road safety response
Police and ministers framed the deaths as preventable and urged behavioural change.
PSNI Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson reiterated that police will continue efforts to make roads safer but said reducing deaths and serious injuries depends on each person's actions, listing the 'fatal five' behaviours to avoid.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins urged drivers to watch for pedestrians, particularly older people, and called on walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists to stay alert.
The Department for Infrastructure says it is working with PSNI, Fire & Rescue, Ambulance Service and other partners on education, engineering and enforcement initiatives.
Coverage Differences
Source emphasis on responsibility vs. systems
Belfast Telegraph (Local Western) and PSNI quotes emphasize individual responsibility and the “fatal five”; Belfast Live (Other) balances that with mention of cross-agency work on education, engineering and enforcement; The Irish News (Local Western) reports Kimmins' sympathy and her warning that the high number of deaths among vulnerable users is "particularly shocking," giving a more emotive tone to the official response.
Road death reporting summary
Reporting trends are mixed: Belfast Live notes a fall in overall road deaths from 69 in 2024 to 57 in 2025 based on provisional PSNI figures and highlights that fatalities are concentrated among pedestrians, while Belfast Telegraph repeats the 57-death figure and amplifies police warnings.
The claim that pedestrian deaths 'doubled' is not supported by the three provided sources, as none supplies a previous-year pedestrian count to verify a doubling, so that assertion remains unconfirmed.
Coverage Differences
Data presentation and verification
Belfast Live (Other) explicitly presents year-on-year total figures (69 to 57) and pedestrian breakdowns; Belfast Telegraph (Local Western) focuses on the 57 figure and police messaging without the year-on-year pedestrian breakdown; The Irish News (Local Western) compiles case-by-case fatalities and does not provide comparative yearly totals for pedestrians, meaning the 'doubling' claim is unverified across these sources.
Local crash coverage responses
Local coverage goes beyond statistics to document community fallout and legal and civic responses.
The Irish News reports a woman was arrested for alleged misuse of public communications after photographing a crash scene, highlighting sensitivities around collision sites.
Ministers and police urged collective action, while outlets varied in emphasizing victim narratives, police advisories, or policy initiatives, and together the reporting depicts preventable loss, concentrated harm to vulnerable road users, appeals for personal responsibility, and parallel commitments to education and enforcement.
Coverage Differences
Unique or off‑topic elements
The Irish News (Local Western) includes the detail that "A woman was later arrested over an alleged misuse of public communications for photographing one crash scene," which is a specific legal/community incident not present in Belfast Live (Other) or Belfast Telegraph (Local Western); Belfast Live is more policy- and statistics-driven, while Belfast Telegraph foregrounds policing messages.