Living in the countryside, we‘ve been lucky enough to be able to enjoy our permitted daily exercise outdoors during lockdown. Surrounded by green spaces and very few cars, re-discovering a love of cycling, running and walking has made the time much more bearable and helped to keep us fit and healthy.
The volume of traffic on the roads around our Northamptonshire village has recently become much more noticeable, as people have started to return to work, more shops have opened and people are travelling around more to meet up with friends in public places. A slow and steady lifting of travel restrictions is right and will have huge mental health benefits. However, what does this mean for road safety?
Since March, the volume of traffic on our roads has reduced and it looks like fatalities and serious injuries as a result of road crashes have fallen. Unfortunately, speeding and other driving offences, such as driving whilst disqualified, without a licence, whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not maintaining a roadworthy vehicle have sadly continued, although our police forces have done an excellent job of identifying offending drivers and taking appropriate action, making our roads an all-round safer place to be.
Over many years, there has been a big push to get more people to use public transport, yet it now looks inevitable that the volume of traffic on our roads will increase further over the coming months. Post COVID-19, it is likely people will have little confidence or desire to travel in crowded and confined spaces with strangers and use of public transport is currently being discouraged. With more and more vehicles back on our roads, it is likely that the number of people killed and injured on our roads will once again increase. We all need to play our part in helping to change this.
Road safety charity, Brake, is inviting everyone to sign its Pledge, whether you are a driver or not. The Pledge calls for people to do everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them. Please make the Pledge today.
About the Author:
Deborah Johnson is a consultant lawyer working with Hugh James solicitors on business development and client relationships. She has over 25 years’ experience of working with people who have been seriously injured and bereaved due to road crashes and has been Chair of Brake since 2010.
Deborah can be contacted at Deborah.johnson@hughjames.com
For further information please visit www.brake.org.uk.