Call For Slower Speeds To Try And Cut Number Of Accidents On The Roads

Expert serious injury lawyers from Irwin Mitchell are backing a campaign by road safety charity Brake to raise awareness of the impact that speeding can have given the number of deaths and injuries arising from road traffic crashes every year.

The theme for Brake’s Road Safety Week (19- 25 November) this year is ‘slower speeds = happy people’. Specialist injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say that speed is almost always a key factor in accidents leading to serious injuries on the road.

The campaign is aiming to raise awareness of the importance of making it safer for people to walk and cycle in their own community, for example people commuting or going to school, and cycling as a hobby. Brake is calling on drivers to slow down to 20mph around homes, schools and shops – which they say will save lives by giving drivers a good chance of stopping in time in an emergency.

Neil Whiteley, a serious injury expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Sheffield office, said: “Road Safety Week is a chance to raise awareness and try to help prevent road crashes and support the victims involved.

“Until recently, the number of serious and fatal incidents on the road had been falling, thanks to road safety measures and other factors. However over the past year or so that trend has started to reverse with cyclists in particular suffering an increased number of accidents.

“In the serious injury team at Irwin Mitchell we see the devastation accidents caused by speeding drivers can have on our clients and their families. Severe car accidents can leave people with permanent or long-term injuries leaving victims needing extensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation to help them on the path to recovery.

“Our teams here at Irwin Mitchell have volunteered for events and awareness training to help push the message about road safety. Apart from working towards improved road safety, our aim is to support people who have suffered serious injuries in accidents or who have lost loved ones in car crashes

“We will help injured clients to secure the necessary rehabilitation, therapy and treatment for their injuries as well as cover the cost of any adaptations to their home and equipment to try to improve their quality of life.”

More information about Brake’s Road Safety Week can be found at www.RoadSafetyWeek.org.uk.