New Initiative Looks To Cut Preventable Deaths

A new global campaign established to encourage governments and authorities across the world to cut the number of preventable deaths on roads every year has been welcomed by injury experts at Irwin Mitchell.

The United Nations’ Decade Of Action For Road Safety 2011-2020 has been created with the aim of using the next ten years to stabilise and then reduce the number of fatalities on the roads.

According to the UN’s initiative, around 3,500 people are killed every day across the world as result of traffic incidents, with the body stating that a huge number of deaths can be prevented through raising awareness of road safety and encouraging authorities to take a stand on the issue.

This stance has been welcomed by serious injury specialists at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, who specialise in providing support to those who have suffered life-changing injuries as a result of road traffic collisions and the families of those tragically killed in such incidents.

Jane Horton, who specialises in serious injury and fatal cases following road traffic collisions at the firm’s Leeds office, said the campaign looks set to highlight this issue across the globe.

She explained: “We see everyday just how devastating road crashes can be to so many lives, the effect on the families of those hurt as well as the victims themselves. The severity of injuries sustained on the road can be literally life-changing, forcing many to need long-term care and rehabilitation in order to restore as much quality of life as possible.

“Because of this, it is excellent news that the UN is launching this focused and specific campaign aimed to improving and encouraging the spread of the road safety message across the globe.

“The UN is right to flag and focus on the fact that so many deaths and serious injuries in road traffic collisions are completely preventable. This simple issue cannot be ignored and I hope that authorities in the UK are among the first to take note of its message and embrace the challenge of making travel on the roads as safe as possible.”