18.11.2014
The theme for BRAKE’s Road Safety Week (17-23 November) this year is ‘look out for each other’ and specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say that with the increase in people cycling this is becoming a bigger issue each year.
The campaign aims 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.
Katie Flatman, a serious injury expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham 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 cause on a daily basis and the impact that has not just on the injured person but also their friends and families. Particularly severe road 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 specialist team here at Irwin Mitchell is heavily involved in supporting injury victims not just through their legal battle for funds to access rehabilitation, therapy and care, but also in volunteering for events and awareness training to help push the message about road safety.”
Alan Clarke from Birmingham was hit by a car as he was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing in February last year.
The 47-year-old was left seriously injured after suffering multiple injuries including fractures to his pelvis and hip joint, head injury, broken leg and fractures to his spine and coccyx. He is currently waiting for hip replacement surgery to help with his recovery.
He said: “The past year has been such a struggle for me to recover from my injuries and I still have a long way to go until they will have fully healed. It is so important for drivers to be aware of their surroundings whilst on the road and take every precaution to protect other road users.
“I would welcome Road Safety Week as a time for all road users to take stock and we hope that by raising awareness of what I have been through, it reminds motorists to think about the consequences of their actions and take extra care, particularly during the dark winter months.”
Gary Pitkin from Craven Arms in Shropshire stopped his car to help out a cyclist who had been knocked from his bike and critically injured when he was driving along a road in Shropshire in October 2013.
The 61-year-old was then mown down by another car as he was tending to the cyclist causing him serious injuries including multiple broken bones in his leg and ankles.
Gary has had three operations so far to help with his recovery and he also needs a further operation next month to remove the metal framework from his leg which has been supporting his weaken leg.
He said: “I stopped my car to help someone who was in trouble as I wanted to make sure they were OK and whether they needed an ambulance. To my horror I was then struck by another car and suffered some serious injuries that I am still recovering from to this day.
“It is essential that both drivers and cyclists to be vigilant whilst on the roads and I think this year’s Road Safety Week highlights an important issue for people to look out for each other at all times.”
More information about Brake’s Road Safety Week can be found at www.RoadSafetyWeek.org.uk.
Call For Drivers To Put Safety First To Prevent The Number Of Accidents On The Roads
Expert serious injury lawyers from Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham are backing a campaign by road safety charity BRAKE to raise awareness of the dangers on the UK’s roads and calling for all road users to take more care to protect each other.The theme for BRAKE’s Road Safety Week (17-23 November) this year is ‘look out for each other’ and specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say that with the increase in people cycling this is becoming a bigger issue each year.
The campaign aims 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.
Katie Flatman, a serious injury expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham 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 cause on a daily basis and the impact that has not just on the injured person but also their friends and families. Particularly severe road 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 specialist team here at Irwin Mitchell is heavily involved in supporting injury victims not just through their legal battle for funds to access rehabilitation, therapy and care, but also in volunteering for events and awareness training to help push the message about road safety.”
Alan Clarke from Birmingham was hit by a car as he was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing in February last year.
The 47-year-old was left seriously injured after suffering multiple injuries including fractures to his pelvis and hip joint, head injury, broken leg and fractures to his spine and coccyx. He is currently waiting for hip replacement surgery to help with his recovery.
He said: “The past year has been such a struggle for me to recover from my injuries and I still have a long way to go until they will have fully healed. It is so important for drivers to be aware of their surroundings whilst on the road and take every precaution to protect other road users.
“I would welcome Road Safety Week as a time for all road users to take stock and we hope that by raising awareness of what I have been through, it reminds motorists to think about the consequences of their actions and take extra care, particularly during the dark winter months.”
Gary Pitkin from Craven Arms in Shropshire stopped his car to help out a cyclist who had been knocked from his bike and critically injured when he was driving along a road in Shropshire in October 2013.
The 61-year-old was then mown down by another car as he was tending to the cyclist causing him serious injuries including multiple broken bones in his leg and ankles.
Gary has had three operations so far to help with his recovery and he also needs a further operation next month to remove the metal framework from his leg which has been supporting his weaken leg.
He said: “I stopped my car to help someone who was in trouble as I wanted to make sure they were OK and whether they needed an ambulance. To my horror I was then struck by another car and suffered some serious injuries that I am still recovering from to this day.
“It is essential that both drivers and cyclists to be vigilant whilst on the roads and I think this year’s Road Safety Week highlights an important issue for people to look out for each other at all times.”
More information about Brake’s Road Safety Week can be found at www.RoadSafetyWeek.org.uk.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a road traffic accident, our personal injury claims team could help to get the compensation, rehabilitation and support you deserve. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.
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