Specialist Welcomes Impact Of Highway Improvements

A road collisions expert at Irwin Mitchell has called on local authorities to build on new research which shows how highway improvements can cut the number of crashes.

Compiled by the Road Safety Foundation, the Simple Measures Save Lives report claims that more than 300 people in the UK are alive thanks to improvements made on just 15 roads.

According to the study, improvements including signage, markings, speed limit reviews and central safety barriers have contributed to bringing the number of serious and fatal crashes on those roads down by 62 per cent.

The most improved road was found to be an 11km section of A4128 in Buckinghamshire, where the number of collisions fell by 89 per cent.

Irwin Mitchell’s serious injury specialists represent a number of people who have been seriously injured in car crashes, as well as the families of victims who have sadly passed away following such incidents.

Stephen Nye, a Partner and road traffic collision expert at the firm’s Birmingham office, said: “This new research demonstrates just how important investment in improving roads can be, as it draws a clear link between better standards and road safety.

“We regularly see the terrible consequences that preventable crashes on the roads can have on families, often leaving victims needing a lifetime of care and support to overcome the problems caused in such incidents.

“Anything that can reduce the number of people who face heartache and difficulty as a result of collisions is welcome, so I hope that local authorities can take a close look at these findings and consider how they can be applied to their own areas.”