ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2021
- MCKEAG & CO SOLICITORS
- Nov 15, 2021
- 3 min read
The UK's biggest annual road safety campaign
WHAT IS ROAD SAFETY WEEK?
Road Safety Week runs from November 15th to 21st November 2021. The week, organised by ‘Brake’, a road safety charity, is an annual event and the biggest road safety awareness event in the UK.
During Road Safety Week, thousands of organisations, schools and communities take part, with road safety demonstrations, events, awareness video screenings, talks and more. Each year the event has a theme. This year the theme is ROAD SAFETY HEROES, celebrating the heroic work of road safety professionals, and explaining how we can all play a part in making journeys safer for everyone.
During Road Safety Week, the police often do roadside checks of vehicles for safety, highlighting the dangers of poorly maintained vehicles and offering advice to drivers, or running speed checks and reminding the general public of how speeding is a major cause of accidents and contributor to deaths through road accidents.
Schools can take advantage of road safety week to teach children about the highway code for example, or safety when crossing roads, cycling proficiency tests, and the importance of cycle helmets and high visibility when cycling.
Riding Stables can hold safety talks for riders who ride on the road, and members of the public can be reached through press, media, and public events that remind them of safe driving techniques, statistics relating to bad driving and road accidents, use of mobile phones at the wheel, and more.
The event has great scope to reach many people across the nation and remind them of road safety, thus potentially preventing many accidents.
WHY IS SPEED SO IMPORTANT?
When it comes to road safety, speed matters. In a crash, 1mph can mean the difference between life and death, but we know that people still regularly break speed limits or travel too fast for the conditions of the road. The formula is simple: the higher the speed, the longer the stopping distance, the harder the crash and the greater the risk of death and injury.
PREVENTING ACCIDENTS AND HELPING US TO STAY SAFE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL ROAD USERS
TIPS FOR PEDESTRIANS:
stop, look and listen!
don’t cross the road between parked cars;
if possible, cross at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights;
never cross at a bend;
always use a footpath where you can.
TIPS FOR DRIVERS:
Stick to speed limits, especially in residential areas and look out for children;
Be alert when approaching junctions or zebra crossings;
Eliminate distractions from inside the vehicle;
Check blind spots before reversing
Ensure your vehicle is in working order, especially headlights and tyres
SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
McKeag & Co Solicitors has experience in representing clients who have been injured as a result of road traffic accidents. Through our work as Personal Injury legal experts, we have seen first-hand the devastating impact that an increase in speed can have in the resultant injuries of a victim following a crash on the UK roads.
If you or a loved one have recently been involved in a road traffic accident or indeed any type of accident and feel that one party has been negligent in causing it, contact our legal experts today. Our specialist team of professionals will guide you every step of the way in pursuing your claim for compensation. Contact 0191 2131010 or email enquiries@mckeagandco.com
HELPFUL INFORMATION
If you are involved in an accident, here is a helpful guide from Northumbria Police of what to do: https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/advice-and-info/road-safety-and-vehicles/traffic-collisions/
Got some spare time? Why not refresh yourself on road safety? There are lots of great campaigns to check out including: THINK – DELIVERING ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS SINCE 2000
Comments