Britain has been enjoying some glorious weather as of late; with the lighter evenings signalling that summer is upon us a change which has sparked a campaign amongst road safety organisations.
The ‘Lighter Later’ campaign which is championed by road safety charity Brake calls for changes to be made to the UK clocks giving us more daylight and lighter evenings. A collation of organisations have put forward the argument that by moving the clocks forward an hour to GMT +1 in winter and GMT +2 in line with the majority of Europe we would witness a significant drop in road traffic accidents.
Driving in the dark and deteriorating weather conditions inevitably places drivers at a greater risk of causing or being involved in an accident due to impaired vision. Likewise vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are also so more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision.
It is estimated that by moving the clocks forwards making the roads safer for all road users that 80 deaths each year could be prevented in addition to hundreds of serious casualties. It is believed that a decline in incidents would also have a knock on effect in the health industry saving the NHS 138 million a year in treatment costs alone.
Road safety and the protection of vulnerable users is a paramount concern, something which the ‘Lighter Later’ campaign aims to achieve. Having witnessed the devastating and life changing impact road traffic accidents can have on those families involved, a move to drastically reduce road traffic accident rates is one Farleys’ Personal Injury department firmly stand behind.
Road traffic accidents cause a significant number of avoidable deaths each year. Statistics released by The Department of Transport have reported a 4 percent increase in road deaths during winter months than in the previous year. Evidently there is a need for measures to be introduced to tackle this impending issue.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a road traffic accident you may be eligible to pursue a personal injury claim. Here at Farleys our team of dedicated solicitors have a wealth of experience acting of behalf of those affected by road traffic accidents, helping them to recover losses and move forward with their lives. To speak to a solicitor who specialises in road traffic accident claims contact us on 0845 050 1958, alternatively please complete an online enquiry form.