A teenager from Monea hopes to take his concerns to the highest levels in Northern Ireland after raising the issue of road safety with the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP).

15-year-old Jack McCubbin from Monea made a heartfelt plea on road safety to members of the PCSP  in September as he delivered a hard-hitting PowerPoint on road safety in Fermanagh.

“I presented them with a PowerPoint presentation, the key points were about road engineering and traffic calming measures.”

Other issues include the dangers that young people face when travelling to school.

He also raised issues on road deaths highlighting that more people have lost their lives on the roads in 2024 than in at the same period in 2023. So far this year, 49 lives have been lost on the roads in Northern Ireland compared to a total of 51 lives for the entirety of 2023.

Describing his meeting with the PCSP, Jack said: “When I was there, I walked in and was told there were very high figures coming down for the event and I was told that Chief Inspector Graham Dodds, Head of Roads Policing, was down to see me.”

Jack delivered a heavily researched PowerPoint which focused on areas of Fermanagh where road safety could be improved, one example he highlighted was the area known locally as the Five Points on the Swanlinbar Road.

“Chief Inspector Dodds asked me about road safety and talked about the fatal five, the main causes of road traffic collisions”

The fatal five are speeding, driving under the influence, not wearing a seatbelt, distraction, such as using a mobile phone and dangerous driving.

Jack explained that his visit was spurred by advice that he received from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children & Young People.

He said: “I was fortunate enough to have NICCY (Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children & Young People) to visit the Integrated College and that was the main stepping stone as I had been previously emailing them about the issue.

“I had one man from NICCY who told me to go to the councillors, MLAs, MPs, and the local PCSP so I said I would write to the PCSP. I wrote a two-page letter to them and immediately they invited me to a meeting.”

Jack has no plans to stop advocating for road safety and has set his sights on a meeting with the Infrastructure Minister, he said: “I hope to talk to John O’Dowd and figure out when he will to Enniskillen next so I can put my points to him.”

Chairman of the Fermanagh and Omagh PCSP, Councillor Roy Crawford praised Jack’s efforts in seeking a meeting with the partnership.

He said: “I must say that Jack McCubbin’s presentation was very well received by both the members of the PCSP and PSNI. It was evident that Jack has a genuine interest in road safety, and his remarks were both insightful and well-structured.

“He was particularly critical of both the PSNI and the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) regarding issues with road junctions and the dangerous practices of some drivers.”

Highlighting one of the issues raised by Jack, Councillor Crawford said: “Jack was especially clear on the importance of ensuring school buses have adequate provisions for safe parking, so that children can get home safely—an issue of critical importance.

“I was personally heartened by the level of detail and clarity in Jack’s presentation. He stands out as a strong voice and a role model, not just for children but for adults as well.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to Jack for his future endeavours.”