Escape velocity is the speed an object must reach to break the bonds of a planet’s gravitational force and get into orbit. To enter orbit around the Earth, for example, a spacecraft needs to be going at a staggering 7 miles per second (25,000 miles per hour). This creates a difficult series of connected problems. The vehicle requires a lot of fuel. Fuel adds weight. More weight means more thrust is required. Greater thrust demands more fuel. And so it goes on … Another situation where speed has a crucial effect on the outcome is in relation to pedestrian road traffic accidents. In this article, we will consider the significance of vehicle speed in pedestrian collisions. Secondly, we will consider the effect of some other factors apart from impact speed. Finally, we will look at some of the implications for measures which can be taken to improve road safety. Frontal impact collision research has considered the effect of speed. Research into road accidents involving Continue Reading
Avoiding accidents or minimising their effect
The articles below deal with issues of a "health and safety" nature. They cover ways in which you can protect yourself in such a way that you will minimise the risk of an accident happening in particular circumstances and/or - if an accident does occur - reduce your risk of serious injury.
Test Your Knowledge of Ladder and Stepladder Safety
In the period 2004/05, according to HSE statistics, a third of all reported incidents involving a fall from height also involved ladders or stepladders. This equated to an average of 14 deaths from ladder accidents per year and 1,200 major injuries in the workplace. Many injuries were caused by incorrect use of the equipment. HSE’s theory was that misuse of ladders at work could be partly explained by the way they were used in the home. They did not elaborate on that observation but they probably meant that we all tend to learn about the use of ladders and stepladders by trial and error and from other people (e.g. relatives) who are not necessarily trained in their use. This results in us having an unjustified level of confidence in the use of ladders and stepladders. It can lead to dangers in the home but it is likely to be much more dangerous in the workplace. HSE’s figures for 2014/15 show that falls from height accounted for nearly three in ten fatal injuries to workers (41 Continue Reading
You Didn’t Wear A Seatbelt: Can You Still Claim?
Click Clack, Front ‘n’ Back. Though there are other famous public information campaigns dating from the 1970s, seatbelt laws did not come into force in the UK until 1983. Regulations for children to wear seatbelts followed in 1989 and then for seatbelts in the rear seats in 1991. It took a while for many people to wear seatbelts regularly but now it has become the accepted norm for anyone getting into a motor vehicle. Most car manufacturers install alarm systems to alert the occupants when a seatbelt is not engaged and the vehicle is in motion. In spite of the rules, there are still some people who will not willingly wear a seatbelt and there are in fact exemptions for certain people. You will still have a claim but your compensation will be reduced If you are unfortunate enough to have suffered injury in an accident whilst not wearing your seatbelt, you will probably still be able to make a claim for personal injury. The down side is that there may Continue Reading
A9 Accident Prevention: Driving With The Lights On
It’s good to see Del Amitri back on the road again for the first time in 12 years. Their set list includes the song “Driving with the brakes on” – not about a stationary vehicle but instead another complicated Justin Currie relationship scenario. Driving with the lights on is clearly a good idea at certain times of day or if conditions are poor. In this post, I’m making a more general road safety point - which is to suggest you consider driving with your lights on during the hours of daylight, at least on certain roads. Scotland’s "most dangerous" roads Scotland has few motorways and none north of Perth. At the top end of the country, trunk roads are the arterial routes. Many of these have only a single carriageway in each direction but some have sections with dual carriageway or “overtaking lanes”. Roads such as the A96, A82 and, especially, A9 (Scotland's longest trunk road), have gained a reputation for frequent accidents. Between 2006 and 2010, the A9 claimed more lives Continue Reading
12 Taxi Safety Precautions for a Happy Night Out
Late one November night in 2003, 20-year-old Stephanie Hammill was with her fiancé when they flagged down what proved to be an unlicensed cab in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She got in first and the car sped off before her fiancé could join her. Clearly terrified of being attacked or abducted, she jumped from the moving cab and was struck and fatally injured by another car. This tragic case highlights the "deadly danger" of bogus cabs. The Scale of the Unlicensed Taxi Problem in Cities The website Taxiregister.com refers to startling statistics from London that:- about 10 women are attacked each month after taking an unlicensed minicab; and 80% of “stranger” rapes are committed by unlicensed cab drivers. Unlicensed Taxis in Moray In a rural area, it is easy to be oblivious to the dangers posed by bogus cabs. In July 2013, the Moray Council gave out a warning about unlicensed taxis operating in Buckie. In Moray, a licensed taxi can be identified by the Continue Reading
Not Wearing A Seatbelt: How It Can Affect Your Personal Injury Claim
General issues about contributory negligence in PI cases In many personal injury claims, though it’s clear that the accident was the fault of someone else – which means the claim should succeed - there can be arguments about whether you as the injured person should share some of the blame for the accident. This is what is referred to as contributory negligence. It is often possible to counter arguments for contributory negligence, meaning that your claim succeeds in full. It is up to the other side to prove contributory negligence applies in the circumstances rather than being up to you to prove that you did take proper care for your own safety. If contributory negligence applies, your compensation will be reduced. In our experience, across the personal injury accident spectrum, reduction rates most often tend to be in the 10% to 25% range. In other words, for example, if contributory negligence is 25% then you lose one quarter of your damages. Why the level of Continue Reading
Winter driving means an increased risk of accidents: what steps should you take?
Wintry weather is persisting into March around the Moray Firth. Inevitably, in winter, there tends to be an increase in road traffic accidents. At this time of year, we are more likely to be driving in the dark and on roads affected by snow and ice. Repeated freezing and thawing also increases the number and size of potholes in the roads. What steps can you take? Equipment to carry in your vehicle The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) recommends certain basic safety equipment to keep in your vehicle at all times, so you are prepared if the weather deteriorates. This should include a towrope, de-icing equipment, a spare wheel, a torch, a first aid kit and a warm blanket. Checks on the vehicle itself In addition, you should check that your vehicle itself is properly prepared for winter conditions. Check your tyre pressure regularly and ensure that you have sufficient tyre tread as this will reduce the risk of loss of traction and skidding (as well as improving Continue Reading
Why early settlement of your personal injury claim is probably a bad idea
If you have been the victim of personal injury due to the fault of another person or organisation, you will be entitled to compensation. Among other things, you will receive damages for the pain and suffering of your injuries and for any financial loss you have incurred, such as wage loss. There is a process you need to go through to get proper compensation. However, we find more and more that insurance companies tell people in your position that this is unnecessary. It is increasingly the case that injured persons are contacted directly by the insurers for the other person or organisation - with an offer to settle their claim there and then. In some cases, this involves a representative of the insurers “door-stepping” the injured person and virtually bullying them into agreeing. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of believing what is implied in the close attention these insurers pay to you: that they have your best interests at heart. Remember that the insurer’s principal Continue Reading
Rural Road Accident Claims and Why Drivers Need to Take Extra Care
Rural roads account for over 70% of fatal accidents, according to statistics published by RoSPA. In Scotland, trunk roads, such as the A9 and A96, are maintained by independent companies but more minor roads are the responsibility of local authorities. Of course, the more minor roads tend to have a greater amount of bends and ups and downs. The increased dangers for drivers are obvious: whether it’s from other traffic, such as slow-moving farm vehicles, or from the state of the road itself. Roads authorities can rarely be blamed for accidents A Court of Session decision from June 2012 – arising out of a tragic accident in North-east Scotland - has provided a reminder of the considerable limitations on local authorities’ duties and the emphasis that is placed on the personal responsibility of the individual driver. In these cash-strapped times, the duties the law imposes on local authorities to maintain road markings and signage are not likely to increase in the foreseeable Continue Reading
Accidents on Rural Roads
RoSPA - the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - published a policy paper (August 2010) addressing the safety of rural roads, which could be of interest to you if you have suffered personal injury on the roads in Moray or elsewhere in the North of Scotland. The publication points out that rural roads have not seen as rapid a fall in accident rates as urban areas in recent years. Rural roads still account for over 70% of fatal road accidents. RoSPA is of the view that simply managing the road environment itself can help to reduce the number of incidents where the road is a primary or indirect cause of the accident. According to RoSPA, some useful options are to alter the perceived road width with markings or roadside islands or by changing or removing the centre line. "Forgiving roadsides" can also help reduce the risk and severity of injury sustained if a vehicle leaves the main carriageway for a short period. If you have been injured in a road accident then Continue Reading
Child car seats: another reason to make sure it’s the right one
It’s bad enough to be involved in a road traffic accident in which someone is injured ... ... but it is even worse if that person is a young child. As a parent, you will find it difficult to come to terms with an injury to your child even if the accident was not your fault. What follows is the facts of a case from 2012 where a mother – who was driving the vehicle in which her injured child was a passenger – was not responsible for the accident at all but was still found to be partly responsible for her child’s injury. In this accident, there was a collision between two cars near Wrexham, North Wales. The driver of the other car lost control of his vehicle and it crossed to the wrong side of the road. There was nothing Louise Williams could do to avoid the crash. The driver of the other car was killed. Ms Williams’ daughter, Emma, aged three, was seriously injured. In the back of Ms Williams’ car, there were two child seats. One was a child seat fitted with a harness (for Continue Reading