Road safety affects everyone, not just drivers.
Where should I cross over that busy road? Is it OK for my 7 year old to walk to school unaccompanied? How fast should I drive next to the park where children often play? As young driver living in an area surrounded by dangerous country roads what extra training and advice do I need to be safe?
The standard of our roads and road network directly influence the choices we make.
There does seem to be a particular problem with road safety in the Scottish Borders. A total of 434 people were injured in road accidents in the Scottish Borders between the years 2008 to 2012 and in the year April 2012 to March 2013 9 people died and 263 were injured. The number of deaths was the 10th highest regional total in Scotland, even though the Borders have only the 17th highest population. As for the financial impact, Government published figures show the average annual cost of road accidents in the region is an eye watering £35.7 million.
The regional geography and the necessity of people to travel from town to town for work, school or everyday living are just two of the factors that make Scottish Borders roads particularly problematic from the point of view of road safety.
Nevertheless, there are people listening and trying to make things better. Scottish Borders Council leads a multi-agency the Scottish Borders Road Safety Working Group which was established to address road safety issues. Another local authority initiative is the provision of sponsorship to young drivers to cover the cost of an advanced driver course delivered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists' Skill for Life programme. These are initiatives which have our full support.
We also work with the road safety charity Brake and with acquired brain injury charity Headway in their efforts to prevent road accidents and injury to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. We are working in partnership with Brake to take their very important 2young2die campaign to the Scottish Borders to help save the lives of our young people.
Thompsons have a long and proud campaigning history. We don't accept the way things are. We constantly strive to make things better and safer. We will bring all of our campaigning zeal and expertise to bear in the campaign to make the Scottish Borders roads safer for everyone - drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Unfortunately, road traffic accidents do happen. The human impact, like the statistics, is stark. The suffering caused both directly and indirectly by a road traffic accident can be inconveniencing, painful, and at worst, life-devastating.
Thompsons are here to help with our expert road traffic lawyers.
What should you do if you’re involved in an accident? If you or a loved one is injured, or even killed? The first thing you should do is come and speak to us and obtain specialist advice. If the accident was not your fault, Thompsons Solicitors are likely to be able to arrange assistance and obtain compensation for your injuries. With our specialist knowledge, expertise and experience, we can arrange practical assistance – such as a temporary replacement car if your own car was rendered undrivable by the accident, medical assistance – like obtaining physiotherapy or rehabilitation services, and of course, with the recovery of compensation for pain and suffering, lost earnings and vehicle damage.
Plus, with Thompsons Solicitors acting on your behalf, these outcomes will probably still be possible even if your own fault contributed the accident, although the amount of compensation you receive may be reduced by a proportion in this event.
And no injury is too minor or too severe. We have extensive experience in dealing with all kinds of road traffic accident claims including injuries ranging from cuts, bruises and minor soft tissue injury up to catastrophic brain injury and death.
When road traffic accidents do happen, this specialist service is exactly what we offer to the Scottish Borders at our Galashiels office.
