Expert Lawyers Urge All Road Users To Take Care During Winter Months

Specialist serious injury lawyers from Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office are urging all road users to take extra care during the winter months after new figures revealed a growing number of cyclists are taking to the city’s roads.

According to a council transport monitoring report, the volume of traffic coming into Cambridge is 15% less than a decade ago, but there has been an 88% increase in the number of cyclists on the road.

The management of traffic control remains a key issue with the A14 between Dry Drayton and Cambridge the busiest road in the country with an average annual daily flow of over 86,000 vehicles. 

The release of the figures has come after Irwin Mitchell recently launched its #SaferJourneys campaign to reiterate the importance of cyclists staying bright both in the clothes they wear and in the way they think when out on the roads. 

Next week also sees the launch of Brake’s annual Road Safety Week which this year encourages everyone to walk, cycle or use public transport as much as possible. 

Across the week, serious injury experts from Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office will visit schools to talk about safety and distribute reflective wrist bands and cycle reflectors as part of the #SaferJourneys campaign.

The national law firm has also produced a special road safety A-Z to help raise awareness of the possible issues cyclists, pedestrians and all road users may face during winter when the dark evenings draw in and the unpredictable weather starts to fall. The striking visual guide can be viewed and shared here.

Ruth Booy, a specialist serious injury lawyer, regularly cycles to work in Cambridge and believes these new figures highlight the importance of raising awareness of a safety first approach in the months ahead.

Expert Opinion

“The council transport monitoring report published in Cambridge highlights the increase of cyclists on our roads and the awareness required to ensure they are not at risk of avoidable accidents.

“The number of cyclists being seriously or fatally injured on Britain’s roads remains worryingly high and through our work we see people whose lives have been changed forever due to a motorist not paying attention for even a split second.

“At Irwin Mitchell we have a cycling group dedicated to championing the benefits of using a bike to keep fit and help reduce the carbon footprint. However, a lot of the work we do focuses on promoting road safety messages and ensuring everything is done to keep cyclists as safe as possible.

“We work closely with charities like Brake to remind everyone to respect and consider all road users and understand the possible dangers during this time of the year when visibility is reduced and the weather can quickly turn treacherous.

“Our research shows that there is a marked increase in road traffic collisions around this time of year which is why we’ve launched the #SaferJourneys campaign. Using lights and wearing bright and reflective clothing seems straightforward but this type of thinking can save lives.

“Please spend five minutes reviewing our road safety A-Z with friends and family to help reinforce advice that, if followed, will ensure pedestrians, runners, cyclists, car drivers and motorbike riders stay safe.” Ruth Booy - Partner

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a cycling accident, you may be able to claim compensation. See our Road Traffic Accident Claims page for more information.