FUNERALS were held yesterday for a man and woman killed in separate road crashes over Christmas, as police figures revealed ongoing safety campaigns failed to reduce the number of deaths in 2019.
Mona Maye, from Oaks Road in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, died in a two-vehicle collision on the M1 motorway shortly before 7.15pm on Monday.
The mother-of-three had been driving a blue Volkswagen Bora which was in a collision with a silver Volkswagen Golf on the Belfast-bound carriageway close to the Tamnamore junction, near Dungannon.
Police said a young woman and her partner in the other car did not have life-threatening injuries.
Requiem Mass was celebrated at 10am yesterday at St Patrick's Church, Dungannon, with interment afterwards in Carland Road Cemetery.
Her daughter Grace Maye posted a picture of the family on her Facebook page, telling friends: "Hug your loved ones a little bit closer this Christmas. You just never know when it'll be the last chance you get x".
Mrs Maye, who was in her sixties, is also survived by daughters Melanie and Emma.
At noon mourners also gathered in nearby Moy for the funeral of Joseph Daly, a pedestrian who died after a collision involving three vehicles in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh on Sunday.
Mr Daly, from Mullybrannon Road in Eglish, Co Tyrone, was walking along Tandragee Road at around 6.10pm when the crash involving a silver Mitsibushi Shogun, a red Vauxhall Astra and black Volkswagen Tiguan happened.
An ambulance was sent to the scene, but Mr Daly, who was in his twenties, died.
Tributes described him as a "special wee man, kind, generous, very hard working".
Requiem Mass was in St John's Church, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery and the family asked for donations in lieu of flowers to be made to Dementia NI.
Mr Daly is survived by his parents Yvonne and Joseph and siblings Joanne, Cathal and Katherine.
The deaths brought the total number of fatalities on the north's roads so far this year to 54.
By the end of October there had already been 4,629 `injury road traffic collisions' recorded by police, with 44 deaths, 639 people seriously injured and 6,536 slightly injured.
That represented a decrease of five deaths on the same period last year, but an increase of 35 seriously injuries and more than 100 slight injuries.
However, by Christmas Eve, there were the same number of deaths as at the same point in 2018.
According to the statistics, the increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured has been in all `road user groups' except motorcyclists.
The figures up until November show 59 children killed or seriously injured - five more than the same period last year - while people aged 65 and over accounted for nearly two-fifths of all fatalities.
The highest number of road deaths was in Causeway Coast & Glens district (eight), with Belfast recording the most serious injuries (100 people).
The three most common principal causation factors for death and serious injuries between January and October 31 were `wrong course/position' (85), `inattention or attention diverted' (75) and `excessive speed having regard to conditions' (57).
