Memorial at country park to remember those killed on our roads
The display is made up of 32 black silhouettes, with each one representing a life lost on Northamptonshire's roads in 2024
A memorial has been set up in Irchester Country Park to remember those who have been killed or injured on Northamptonshire's roads in the last year.
It's hoped to serve as a reminder for the devastating impact of road collisions during a global road safety week.
The display is made up of 32 black silhouettes of road users, with each one representing a loved one who lost their life on the county’s roads in 2024.
Alongside the silhouettes there are 243 doves, with each bird representing someone who sustained a serious injury on our roads, and 1,360 county flags to mark the number of people who received a minor injury in a collision.
The special display has been organised by Northamptonshire Police Roads Policing officer PC Emilie Bunkall with the support of the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance and it's the fourth year the memorial has been set up.
Emilie knows first-hand of the devastating impact a road death has on those left behind after her mum Julie was killed in a collision on the A6 at Burton Latimer in 2013:
"“In Northamptonshire alone, 1,635 people were injured on our roads last year however, this does not reflect the true cost of road collisions in the county. For every casualty, there are many more people who have also had their lives changed forever.
“The aim of the display is to get the public talking about the impact of road deaths and I hope that the memorial at Irchester Country Park will provide a meeting point for people to do just that.
“Last year, we had people visiting the memorial at Abington Park, who told us that either they had lost a loved one, a member of their family had been injured or they had been involved in a collision themselves. It was very emotional.
“I wonder each year whether the display is still impactful. However, while we were setting up the display, we had lots of positive interactions with the public, many of whom didn’t realise the numbers involved.
“One teenager walked past and said that’s a lot of people! This response alone is why we do this every year. It not only raises awareness of devastation on our roads, but it also serves to spark that the all-important conversation we need to have to make our roads safer.”