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1/14 West Belfast seems to be in a perpetual cycle of car violence. These problems have never been addressed structurally by fixing our streets and neighbourhoods instead money is squandered on awareness and campaigns+short term policing for stat whilst nothing actually changes
2/14 1997: one of the most depressing articles you will ever read. Has much changed since then? We still fail to provide adequate mental health services , bigoted vigilantes still strike fear Into communities and cars cause immeasurable harm to our city. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/scourge-of-joyriding-still-haunts-west-belfast-as-young-hood-takes-his-life-1.93366
3/14 2001: This is pure gold and helps to explain the shit we are in today. The problems are being teed up to solve, but traffic calming through ramps and education to solve car violence is being suggested as fixes. Once again nothing has changed https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ni/?id=2001-04-23.7.0
4/14 2002: well this ones just depressing and once again has much changed ? https://www.irishtimes.com/news/west-belfast-declared-car-crime-capital-of-north-1.449461
5/14 2008: 104 million well spend to ensure an already existing motorway can become even more efficient at accumulating traffic. And while we are at it let’s build Belfast biggest art installation where nobody wants to spend their leisure time. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/belfasts-broadway-underpass-open-months-early-28396037.html
6/14 2014: let’s spend a fuck tonne of money on a short term “solution” which will have no discernible affect be that in 2014 or 2024. ..unless punishment for these crimes is drastically increased people will continue to break the law. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/no-tolerance-crackdown-on-drivers-30562420.html
7/14 2015: Never mind we are all saved no need to change anything the advertising gods will fix drink driving by “raising awareness”..... can’t wait to see how the 2019 figures plummet due to this genius move.
https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/doe-drink-drive-campaign-asks-how-low-can-you-go-4772/
https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/doe-drink-drive-campaign-asks-how-low-can-you-go-4772/
8/14 2016: ah yes but it’s not safe to walk at night driving is the only alternative. Nothing to do with shitty pedestrian facilities leading to less pedestrians leading to less facilities leading to less pedestrians...deserted areas equal dangerous areas https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/upsurge-west-belfast-car-crime-will-cost-more-lives-1276525
9/14 2019: FUCK CYCLE LANES AND CYCLISTS , it’s too wet , too hilly , red light jumping , dark cloth wearing , can’t park my car-ing , rich entitled time wasting , tax dodging , uninsured arseholes. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/04/09/news/damage-caused-at-west-belfast-park-condemned-1593146/
10/14 2019: Who could have predicted this .... cough cough tweet 3/14 2001 cough cough https://www.northernslant.com/belfast-is-the-most-car-dependent-city-in-the-uk/
11/14 2019: well shit who would’ve guessed 2014’s crackdown and 2015’s ad campaign would’ve failed. Shall we introduce progressive drug policies and spend money helping drugs victims and take a swing drinking culture ? Nah I’d say another ad should work. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/road-deaths-linked-to-drink-and-drugs-rise-38387444.html
12/14 2020: when grieving families have to band together to raise awareness for decades old unsolved problems you know your government is totally incompetent. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/belfast-families-share-memories-loved-19351863
13/14 2021: And that brings us right up to the present. Where car deaths are so normalised in society that we are happy enough to deal with the fallout and misery they bring ,if it means we can double-park right outside spar to pick up our milk and bread. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55961458
14/14 The Future: Basically we need to become the Netherlands no matter the cost (in terms of road and streetscape infrastructure).We then need to adopt far more progressive drug Policies and initiatives to tackle homelessness , mental health and addiction based rehabilitation.
