Road traffic accidents (RTAs) can happen at any time and in any place, but did you know that there are more RTAs in the holiday season than in any other month? The number of accidents increases by around 30% for women and 9% for men. This time of year, not only are the roads busy, especially at the weekend, but you can encounter extremely aggressive drivers who just want to get home or to their staycation destination. That’s why it’s extremely important that you keep your distance and make sure you are as safe as you can when you are out on the road.
This year, Summer is going to be very different. With the second lockdown ending but much confusion around travel abroad, summer holidays in the UK with family is going to be a priority for many. That’s why we want to give our advice on how you can travel safely with your loved one’s aboard, without experiencing an accident.
However, if you have recently been involved in a traffic collision, you could be owed compensation. Solicitors On Your Side will be here to get you the compensation that you deserve. Get in contact with our law firm by completing the form, emailing us or giving us a call. We would be more than happy to help!
Coronavirus Update: Summer Travel & Road Safety
Now, before we move onto road safety and road traffic accidents, it’s important that we chat about the current pandemic and what it means for the UK and holidays. For the last 12 months, we have been in a mix of lockdown, tiered restrictions and Covid-19 based cautions. Right now, you may feel the urge to try and get on the roads as early as possible in order to get your family away quickly before the school holidays begin. The roads may be quieter, but you may be breaking your local lockdown rules.
Travel abroad will be set providing travel to traffic light system countries, with green country’s being the destination travel will have least restrictions on. You will be able to travel abroad, providing you have had a PCR test going out and coming home, which shows a negative reading. These PCR tests cost around £90 to £120 per test, per person, which is a significant cost to any family wishing to travel abroad.
With this in mind and there is such a big success in the summer of 2020 for UK staycation breaks, the government is expecting the UK to be used for more summer holidays, than travelling abroad again. The roads were extremely busy and between July and August, we saw a massive increase in road traffic accidents, due to the increased traffic. The most recent government advice is to use public transport safely and wherever possible. Then if you are travelling by car, to set a good amount of time aside, try to avoid stopping for long breaks, ensure you have rest if travelling long distances and share driving responsibilities with a partner or friend.
Road Traffic Accidents & Safety Advice for Traveling
Before you go out onto the road, the best way to avoid road traffic accidents is to plan your route carefully. You can use Google Maps to what the roads look like and also see if there are any faster ways you could travel. You can use public transport if you desire, but keep in mind that it’s highly likely that these are going to suffer from cramped conditions, and will be subject to the same social distancing and lockdown rules until such time as these are eased.
It’s also important to consider going out on the road when there are quieter hours. Keep in mind that for some people this may mean leaving at night or extremely early in the morning. But if this happens, you will also have to worry about the darkness, tiredness and any other road conditions such as road works affecting your travel routes.
Road Traffic Accidents & Injuries
Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be as careful as you when you go out driving on the road. We understand that under the current circumstances, people will want to try and get to their holiday destinations as quickly as possible. When the school holiday season rolls around, it will not be a surprise if the roads become crammed full of people trying to get away for a summer break whilst the lockdown rules are relaxed and with the hope that if they go soon enough, new restrictions won’t be introduced. That’s why it is more likely that if people set off on long journeys, they may end up in an accident due to bad weather conditions, traffic jams or impatient drivers. Not only that, but with the shops opening for 24 hours a day, you may find that impatient or tired shoppers may end up getting into a road traffic accident too.
We stated before, each driver of a vehicle has a responsibility to those they meet on the road and if we all abide by these conditions, we will do well to avoid collisions. This includes pedestrians, cyclists and smaller vehicle operators. That means if you get hurt due to someone else’s negligent behaviour, you could claim compensation from them. Negligence can come in many forms when it comes to road traffic accidents. It includes:
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Eating/drinking/smoking whilst driving
- Not watching the road
- Taking a phone call
- Not having due care and attention
The end result will always be the same if you are a negligent driver. You will cause someone to suffer from road-related injuries. The severity of your injuries may range from soft tissue injuries such as whiplash to crushed limbs or broken bones. Either way, you will need medical attention to make sure you are okay!
What should I do if I am involved in a road traffic accident?
Now that you are aware of the dangers it’s time to learn what you should do if you are involved in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault. Traffic accidents are all different and some people may have worse injuries than others. That’s why we want to make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve.
If you have been hurt, the first thing you should do is get medical attention. Call an ambulance if you need to and make sure there are police on the scene of the accident if you or others are severely injured. That way you have a police report made about the incident. You should also get the insurance details and licence plate of the other person involved in the accident, but most importantly, you and the other passengers are safe.
Afterwards and when reflecting on it, make sure to also take some time to look for evidence about the accident. You need to prove that you were not responsible for the accident. Instead, you were a victim of the other person’s negligence. Solicitors On Your Side are the law firm here to help. You should consider the following evidence to prove your case:
- Photographs of your injuries, your vehicle and the scene of the accident
- Video footage, dash-cam or CCTV footage
- Witnesses – keep their details
- Police reports
- Medical reports
- Diary Events – Keep a log
- Receipts for any expenditure afterwards
How much could I get from a road traffic accident compensation claim?
The amount of compensation you get from your road traffic accident claim depends on the extent of your injuries and how bad your damages are. That’s why it’s very important that you actually speak to your solicitor, at Solicitors On Your Side, about what injuries you have suffered from no matter how minor. You will also want to give them as much evidence as possible to back up your case. The more evidence you have, the more likely it is that you will be able to get the highest amount of compensation possible. You will also be able to prove that you are not responsible for the accident. Instead, you were a victim of the accident. A trip to a doctor’s surgery after a traffic accident, not only helps soothe any injuries you may have, but will also be a vital record of what injuries you suffered from in the accident.
Your solicitor can help you estimate how much of a pay-out you can receive. Make sure to work with them to ensure that you can figure out the most likely settlement amount together.
How long will it take to make a claim?
In general, this again depends on the severity of your injuries. It may be that you need months of rehabilitation or medical procedures before a medical assessment can be carried out. In general, though, 95% of the accident claims Solicitors On Your Side deal with, complete from start to finish in 9 months. Some are quicker and some are a lot longer. It really depends on the circumstances of your road traffic accident, your injuries and the third-party liability.
Contact Solicitors On Your Side about your road traffic accident claim
Here at Solicitors On Your Side, we are ready to help you make a successful compensation claim for a road traffic accident. Our solicitors are always on your side. We can give you free advice and consultation, to begin with, and then 99% of the time, we can handle your case on a no-win no fee basis. That means you will always come out on top and you will never need to pay any hidden fees. We will always be upfront about our costs if we have a successful case and you won’t have to pay anything.
Contact us today by phoning 0330 912 2124, emailing [email protected] or by using a claim on the site. Get the right Solicitors On Your Side and speak to a specialist in Road Traffic Accident Claims to help you with your questions.
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