Two years on from United Nations Global Road Safety Week

Tomorrow marks two years since the first United Nations Global Road Safety week held on 23-27 April 2007.  The road safety week was called for by the United Nations to reflect the startling statistic that nearly 1.2 million people around the world are killed in accidents on the road each year and a further 35 million are injured.  In fact, predictions by road safety experts point to a further 17 million deaths on the world’s roads by 2020 and over 200 million injuries. 

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-45.  The impact of road traffic accidents places an enormous pressure on both the health system of many countries in the world and also has an impact on economic output.  According to some calculations, the impact of road traffic accidents in terms of lost work time, delays for other travellers and the financial cost of caring for the injured accounts for 1% of a nations Gross National Product – a huge sum. 

Global Road Safety Week is designed to spread awareness of the simple measures that can be taken to reduce the deaths and serious injuries on roads around the world.  Safety equipment such as helmets on motorbikes and seatbelts in cars can help to increase survival rates and lessen the seriousness of any injuries suffered.  Taking action against drink and drug driving as well as measures to make cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians more visible to other road users (through high-visibility clothing) will help to reduce the overall number of accidents, saving lives and resources.

If you are a resident of England and Wales and have been involved in a road traffic accident that was not your fault and you are considering making a claim for compensation, call Camps Solicitors today on 0800 092 8586.