NORTHERN Ireland's roads have claimed their first victim of the new year, after an 84-year-old man died in hospital following a weekend collision.
Father-of-three Gerald Horner died on Monday from injuries suffered in a collision on Sunday morning on Mallusk Road in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim.
His funeral is due to take place on Friday.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash involving Mr Horner's Volkswagen Polo and a Vauxhall Vectra at around 11.45am on the busy road, which is close to Sandyknowes roundabout.
Newtownabbey Alliance councillor John Blair said he has repeatedly asked the Roads Service to lower the speed limit on the 60mph road because of a church, primary school and homes close by.
"I have requested a number of times since I was elected in 2011 for that stretch of Mallusk Road be reduced to 30mph," he said.
"Even to drop it to 40mph would be too fast for that stretch of road."
Police have not indicated that speed was a contributing factor in the crash but asked anyone with information to contact them.
Last year 79 people died on the north's roads - a dramatic jump on the previous 12 months and 65 per cent higher than in 2012.