The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) has urged the Government to take action, after latest figures revealed that the number of road deaths had increased for the first time in 18 years.
The Department of Transport published a report that showed that the total number of fatalities on UK roads last year soared at 1,775 people with a further 190,000 people suffering injuries.
Neil Craig, who is the IAM Director of Policy and Research, expressed his worry with the findings of the report, saying: “These figures are greatly concerning and show the time for actions is now.”
“We are clear on what needs to happen. We call it again for road safety targets to be reintroduced – they are the only way of ensuring reductions are measured and achieved.”
It is not just drivers of vehicles on UK roads who are at risk or susceptible to injury either. Last year 446 pedestrians died on the road, which represents a 12% hike on the number of fatalities in 2013, a point that Mr Craig urged the Government to take not of saying: “There also needs to be a focus on tackling pedestrian deaths, an area which is often ignored.”
“We believe that car technology and design should now shift from occupant protection to protecting the vulnerable outside cars.”
“We need better pedestrian facilities to segregate traffic and vulnerable users where speeds are high, and campaigns to educate pedestrians themselves as they are most often at fault in crashes.”
Scott Rees and Co’s Partner for Catastrophic Injury, Chris Walker, supports the IAM‘s calls for a review of road safety procedures by the Government.
He said: “Over the past two years the Government has spent a lot of time focusing on making it harder for victims to get compensation following accidents on the road but they seem to have neglected what is really important here, and that is why so many accidents are occurring in the first place.”
“Whether it is reckless driving, bad habits behind the wheel or in many cases poor road conditions and insufficient pedestrian walkways, it is clear that this now needs to be taken under serious review.”
“From the pedestrian perspective you only need to look at Skelmersdale, where we are based, to realise that not enough thought has been given to the mobility of those who do not drive.”
“In many areas of Skelmersdale there are insufficient pathways, forcing pedestrians to walk alongside roads to get to where they need to get to and that is something I am sure is present in other towns across the country.”
“For the number of road deaths to increase, and by so much, is simply not acceptable in this day in age. We should be looking at reductions in deaths on the roads not increases.”
“I can’t outline enough the seriousness of this. As a specialise in serious and catastrophic injury, I have seen plenty of incidents where clients have suffered severe injuries as a result of a road traffic accident and I have also dealt with families who have lost loved ones in the same way.”
“It is heartbreaking for all involved and the after-effects are permanent. Relationships become strained, families become divided and the emotional strain put on everyone close to or around the victim is harrowing.”
“No one should ever have to go through all that and it is clear that the Government now need to react to start reducing these figures immediately.”
Here at Scott Rees and Co we have dealt with road traffic accident claims for many years and have therefore helped many families with the rebuilding process after an accident of the most severe nature takes place.
It is a long process and involves a lot of care, rehabilitation and patience from everyone involved to bring a severely injured victim through and in many cases their lives are never the same again. Sadly for some, they aren’t even afforded the option of rebuilding their lives, which makes it all the more important for the Government to act now and start tackling this growing problem.