subject: Major Death Cause - Road Traffic Accidents [print this page] Road traffic accidents are the major reason behind injury prone deaths worldwide. In developing countries the percentage of accidental death has reached to an alarming state, but very few preventive measures are taken against the problem. According World Health Organization (WHO) information at present road traffic injuries are the major reason of deaths and injuries. Based on disability adjusted for life years road traffic accident is the 9th major contributor to the burden of disease worldwide and 10th leading cause of all deaths.
Amongst all European countries, UK is considered to have a safest road safety measures. Even though, the country comes across many accidents on daily basis. The main reason behind the high number of accident in UK is considered to be the numbers of hours drivers spend on road (In UK drivers spend 8.5 hours as compared to other EU countries drivers spend 7.5 hours). In 1998, UK government had set an objective of reducing the percentage road accident by 40%. But taking into consideration of statistics from 1998, the percentage decrease in accidents is about 7% and the number of fatalities has also dropped.
According to law an accident is considered to be reportable when a mechanically propelled vehicle causes injury or suffering to another person, injury or suffering to an animal (Animals considered are horse, cattle, sheep, pig, goat or dog), damage to other vehicle, and damage to any property. Majority of car accident are taken place due to drivers errors, such as failing to look when pulling out of a junction or failing to maintain safe distance and crashing with another car.
Taking in to consideration the high amount of road traffic accident happening worldwide, Road traffic safety measures should be given importance. This safety measures refer for reducing the risk of a person getting killed on seriously injured while using the road. The road accidents victims can include pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, drivers, and people using on-road public transport (buses and trams). Road safety strategies focus upon the prevention of serious injuries and death possibilities whenever the accidents occur due to human negligence. Designing a safe road is about creating a road structure and environment that ensures the vehicle speeds will remain in human controllable for avoiding human lose in accidents prone areas.
A person is liable to make a successful Road Traffic Accident Compensation Claim for injuries, suffering, pain and expenses caused in the accident, only when it wasnt his fault or mistake. A passenger who gets injured in an accident is liable for the compensation despite of which driver is at fault. The passenger can process an accident claim even though the driver of the vehicle he is are traveling in is at fault.
