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Road Safety Week: Step up for Safe Streets
18 November 2019
Road Safety Week (18-24 November) focus for 2019 is for everyone to ‘Step up for Safe Streets’ in order to learn about and to champion design-led solutions that will allow us to get around in safe and healthy ways, every day.
Someone is tragically killed or seriously injured on the roads of Great Britain every 20 minutes, with each and every one of these accidents being preventable. Research from the road safety charity Brake found that 1 in 3 adults have experienced a collision or near miss with a vehicle on a UK road in the last year.
By following the advice below we can all do our bit to make our journeys safer.
Safe Systems
New technologies are being developed all of the time to make our roads safer. Many motorists now use a dashcam when driving, to help provide evidence if they are involved in an accident. If you capture evidence of dangerous driving such as other motorists speeding, carelessly overtaking, using a mobile phone whilst driving, ignoring traffic lights or driving hazardously around cyclists or horse riders, this can be submitted to the police.
Wear reflective clothing
When walking or cycling at night or in the early dark winter mornings, wear reflective clothing to be seen by other road users. Ensure that you always use pedestrian crossings when possible, and if riding a bike make sure that you have working front and rear lights.
Get your eyes tested
Sadly many accidents happen due to motorists not being able to see properly. Make sure that you have your eyes tested every two years, and if you’re experiencing issues with your sight make an appointment with an optician straight away.
Use public transport, walk or cycle
Minimise the use of individual car journeys, use public transport, walk or cycle whenever possible. This will not only reduce the amount of traffic on the roads but is also beneficial in reducing carbon emissions.
Stick to the speed limit
Always stick to the speed limit when driving. According to ROSPA inappropriate speed contributes to 11% of all injury collisions reported to the police, with 15% of crashes resulting in a serious injury and 24% of collisions that result in death.
Driving at a higher speed means that it takes longer for motorists to react to what is going on around them, taking longer for the vehicle to stop. Turning what could have been a near miss into a crash.
Higher speeds also account for more serious injuries. Car drivers have a 17% risk of being fatally injured if hit at 40 mph, rising to a 60% risk at 50 mph. Pedestrians hit by a vehicle travelling between 30 mph and 40 mph are 3.5 and 5.5 times more likely to be killed than if they were hit by a car travelling below 30 mph.
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, then you could be entitled to claim compensation. You may have been injured whilst driving your car, or travelling as a passenger, or riding a motorcycle or bicycle, or whilst travelling on a bus or as a pedestrian, or riding a horse.
If so, we can help you win maximum compensation in the shortest time. TRUE Solicitors LLP handle all road traffic accident claims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Contact us today for a free, initial assessment of your head injury at work claim. Submit your details below or call us on 0344 854 7000.
