Brake Road Accident Week

Brake’s Road Safety Week is the biggest road safety event in the UK and has been running successfully for 17 years. This year it is running from 17 – 23 November and at Jefferies Solicitors, we are delighted to be corporate sponsors.

The country’s road safety organisations and communities are already gearing up to promote the reduction of road traffic accidents in the UK with a variety of different initiatives and fundraising events already in place.

Road Safety Week?

Road Safety Week has now become an important part of the road safety calendar and is an initiative that schools and organisations are familiar with. If you are not sure what it’s all about we have listed some of the key facts about it below:

• Held every November, the purpose of the event is to reduce the number of tragedies on the UK roads
• The idea behind it is to get people involved at a grassroots level
• The initiative provides a platform for people in local communities who want to organise their own event to raise awareness about the consequences of a road accident
• The phrase associated with the event this year is ‘look out for each other’ – if you are just thinking of yourself then this can lead to tragedy
• The campaign is asking drivers to look out for people on bikes and on foot by slowing down to 20 mph and is also asking people on bikes to not take chances on the road and ensure they are visible to other road users at all times

Road Accident Prevention

One of the problems relating to road accidents is that there are so many ways in which people can be injured on the roads that it can seem like an impossible task to come up with a solution. Organisations like Brake, therefore, have numerous schemes and initiatives that they support run by local communities, schools and other road safety organisations. Bringing on board so many different groups means that all of the issues are being addressed as much as possible and new solutions are being created all the time.

Road Accident Lawyers

As personal injury lawyers who specialise in road accident compensation, the team at Jefferies Solicitors sees first hand, the often devastating consequences of road accidents. Below we have outlined the kind of accidents which we see more frequently:

• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents are known to make up around 1 % of the traffic on the UK’s roads yet, disproportionately, the number of fatal road accidents involving motorcycles makes up a much higher percentage. The causes of motorcycling accidents are wide and varied and include potholes in the road and a lack of observation from drivers of cars, lorries and other vehicles. Injuries caused by a motorcycle accident are quite often serious and can lead to paralysis; broken bones and head injuries. These injuries can mean that motorcyclists are often incapacitated for a long period of time
• Cycling accidents are another form of road accident which can also result in severe injuries. Again, a lack of observation from other road users can result in a cycling accident and similar kinds of injuries to motorcycle accidents are often sustained as a result
• Car accidents are one of the major types of road accident and involve passengers; drivers and pedestrians. Speeding drivers; distracted drivers; poor road maintenance and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can all be reasons which contribute to a car accident. Injuries are very varied; in some cases, you may suffer a minor injury like a cut or a bruise while in other cases an accident could leave you with a serious head injury, for example
• Pothole accidents are another contributor to the causes of road accidents in the UK. The maintenance of roads is the responsibility of the local authority and in some cases, it can be the case that they have failed to ensure the roads within its jurisdiction have been properly looked after to ensure they are safe

Jefferies Solicitors And Brake Charity

Jefferies Solicitors has recently become a corporate sponsor of Brake. Michael Jefferies says:

“We are delighted to be supporting an organisation that has shown an unyielding and tireless energy in helping reduce the number of road accidents. Our solicitors at Jefferies speak to people every day who have had to suffer first hand the sometimes horrifying injuries an accident can cause, as well as those who have to go through the unpalatable pain of losing someone they love in a car accident. The work that Brake does to try and stop this is both vital and highly commendable.”

Making A Road Accident Claim With Jefferies Solicitors

If you have been affected by a road accident of any nature and believe that the injuries you or a loved one suffered are the fault of a third party then you could have a valid compensation claim. To find out more about the validity of your claim please get in touch with us on our national accident helpline number of complete an online claim form.

Published on 17th February 2015.