Friday, November 16, 2007

Road Traffic Accidents

It’s been 110 years since the first death due to a road accident, now more than a century on we are seeing more and more injuries due to road traffic accidents, mostly involving car accidents, which comes as no surprise when you take into account the amount of congestion on Britain’s roads today.

Road traffic accidents not only refer to collisions between vehicles, be it car or motorcycle but also to collisions with buildings, trees and even people.

Injuries sustained from road traffic accidents can range from minor whiplash to fatal injuries. An estimated 1.2 million people worldwide are killed each year on the road with more minor injuries being about forty times this number.

If you are unfortunately involved in a road traffic accident you should always stay at the scene and decide on the emergency services that you need by taking into account things like, is the road blocked? If so you need the police, are people injured? Then an ambulance. As well as these essentials you should always exchange details with the other driver so repairs and insurance claims can be sorted out quickly to get you back on the road in no time.

One other thing you are able to do after a road traffic accident is claim compensation. You can do this as a driver, passenger or pedestrian if the accident wasn’t your fault.

With most people traveling in cars or on motorbikes to work and some even driving as a living, the risk of becoming a victim of a road traffic accident is a very high one. Legislations have been put in place to reduce the amount of road traffic accidents, with the focus being put heavily on young and inexperienced drivers, who are believed to be by far the most likely to be involved in a car crash. These legislations include proposals such as to introduce a curfew to young drivers, stopping them from driving late at night and a Zero tolerance on alcohol.

Although it is believed most crashes are a result of poor care and attention, there are times when factors such as road conditions and mechanical failures take over. Making it hard to safely stop the car.



http://www.articlefrenzy.com/Article/Road-Traffic-Accidents/120760