Every Life Matters: Suicide Prevention Must Receive the Same National Focus as Road Safety

We welcome every effort by the PSNI and partner agencies to reduce deaths on our roads. Every life lost is a tragedy, and every preventable death deserves our collective attention.

The recent public focus on road safety demonstrates what can be achieved when public bodies work together, supported by sustained public awareness, long-term investment and coordinated action to save lives. That commitment is important and should be recognised.

Our question is whether we are showing the same level of collective urgency when it comes to preventing suicide.

In 2023, Northern Ireland recorded 290 registered deaths by suicide. By comparison, annual road traffic fatalities typically range between 60 and 70 lives. Every one of those deaths represents a family devastated and a community forever changed.

We believe there should be no hierarchy of preventable deaths.

If the loss of lives on our roads rightly prompts sustained public awareness campaigns, political attention and coordinated action, then the loss of 290 lives to suicide should command at least the same level of national focus.

The difference is that road safety has benefited from sustained investment, long-term planning and coordinated action across government and public agencies. By contrast, Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Strategy continues to suffer from severe, significant underinvestment, despite suicide remaining one of the leading causes of preventable death in this country.

We cannot expect different outcomes while continuing to invest differently. If we are serious about reducing suicide, mental health services, early intervention, crisis support and community-based suicide prevention services must be funded as a national priority rather than as an afterthought.

Suicide prevention cannot rely solely on the dedication of families, charities, frontline staff and emergency services. It requires sustained investment in prevention, early intervention, timely access to mental health support and the full implementation of Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Strategy.

Road safety has shown what sustained political leadership, long-term investment and public commitment can achieve.

It is time to bring that same determination to suicide prevention.

No family distinguishes between a loved one lost on our roads and a loved one lost to suicide. Both leave immeasurable grief. Both deserve the same determination to prevent future deaths