Stormont support for Sherrard family's road safety campaign

A tragedy-hit Londonderry family's campaign urging motorist and pedestrians to be more aware of road dangers has won timely support.
Christopher and Ryan Sherrard at Parliament Buildings with Gary Middleton MLA, William Humphrey MLA, Cllr David Ramsey and George Robinson MLA .Christopher and Ryan Sherrard at Parliament Buildings with Gary Middleton MLA, William Humphrey MLA, Cllr David Ramsey and George Robinson MLA .
Christopher and Ryan Sherrard at Parliament Buildings with Gary Middleton MLA, William Humphrey MLA, Cllr David Ramsey and George Robinson MLA .

Christopher and Ryan Sherrard took the safety initiative in memory of their late father, Wilson, who died in a road incident near Claudy last month, to the Stormont Infrastructure Committee.

Hosted by Foyle MLA Gary Middleton, they met with chair William Humphrey MLA along with Cllr Ramsey from the Foyle Road Safety Committee.

Mr. Middleton said: “It was a very positive meeting and Christopher will now speak at the road safety round table event in Stormont in November.

“It is also welcome news that Christopher has been proposed and seconded to sit on the Foyle Road Safety Committee were he will be a great asset because of his tragic experience of death on our roads.”

Wilson Sherrard, who specialised in making collarettes for the Loyal Orders, had been on a return journey from Belfast when the car in which he was travelling was in a collision with a van on the Foreglen Road, on August 2.

The Stormont boost to the family’s campaign comes as police in Causeway Coast and Glens step up road safety operations.

Superintendent John Magill said: “As we head into autumn with the darker evenings and inclement weather conditions the roads can be a more dangerous place not just for drivers but pedestrians and cyclists too. Roads are much busier with the pupils back to school and the weather is still not a deterrent for some of you more hardy cyclists. Rush hour, heavy traffic, and increased activity around schools means we all need to pay extra attention. “

He warned that on Thursday there will be an increase in policing activity around schools, main roads, and areas where local people have expressed concerns about driving standards.

“Officers in Causeway Coast and Glens supported by our colleagues in Roads Policing, will be focusing our attention on speeders, dangerous drivers, careless driving around schools, and pedestrian safety through a mixture of enforcement and engagement opportunities. We will be visiting schools and teaming up with our colleagues in the Policing and Community Safety Partnership to reinforce the importance of staying safe on the roads,” he added.

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