Speed spawns car accidents

There is a common misconception that bad driving, not speeding, is what causes car accidents. However, the Department for Transport is very clear on the matter, "Driving too fast is bad driving."

An examination of the statistics shows why. Speed is undoubtedly a cause and a factor in the seriousness of a car accident. Let's begin with a look at the impact of speeding on car accidents involving pedestrians.

• 20 mph - in a car accident involving a pedestrian at this speed there is a one in 40 chance the pedestrian will be killed.
• 30 mph - in a car accident involving a pedestrian at this speed there is a one in five chance the pedestrian will be killed.
• 35 mph - in a car accident involving a pedestrian at this speed there is a one in two chance the pedestrian will be killed.
• 40 mph - in a car accident involving a pedestrian at this speed there is a nine in ten chance the pedestrian will be killed.

Drivers risking their car accident claims
In Britain there is an unofficial speeding lobby who believe that the only factor in car crashes is not speeding but stupid drivers. While their figurehead, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and his bands of over-excited disciples have a point, these statistics clearly demonstrate that they are perhaps a little bit high on petrol fumes to fully appreciate the facts.

The recent and tragic case of a 12-year-old boy who was killed by a motorcyclist while playing 'chicken' on an A road, is a useful lesson to all road users who take pride in their devotion to speeding. It shows that even in car accidents where speed is not technically at fault, it can cause driver's to lose their right to compensation.

In a landmark decision at the High Court, the motorcyclist won a compensation claim for personal injuries because, in the judge's eyes, he was completely exonerated from any blame.

As it happens, the motorcyclist was travelling well within the speed limit at the time of the road accident and could not do anything to prevent the fatality. However, had he been travelling over the speed limit, he would have lost his entitlement to a successful road accident compensation claim.

So even in situations where speed is not the only factor in causing death or personal injury to a pedestrian, observance of speed limits protects a driver's right to make a compensation claim.

Like national speed limits, another government intervention designed to prevent car accidents that has come in for a lot of criticism from the unofficial speeding lobby is the speed camera. Yet a look at the statistics shows them to be an effective tool in preventing car accidents. There has been a reduction of 35% in the incidence of car accidents that cause death or personal injury in areas where speed cameras have been installed. So they are not merely an annoyance - they are saving lives.

So together speed limits and speed cameras form part of the social contract; a system of rights and responsibilities that make for a civilised society.

When you consider that, every year, speed is a factor in over 1,000 fatal car accidents and 38,000 car accidents involving personal injury it is not surprising that 84% of people disapprove of speeding. What is surprising though is that 69% of people still do it. That is a large proportion of the British population risking their right to make a car accident claim for compensation.

Youth Speeding
There is ample evidence to suggest that speeding is like a drug to much of Britain's troubled youth. The potential for a car accident or the possibility of facing an expensive compensation claim hardly figure at all in the minds of many young, speeding drivers.

Only one in ten drivers on the road is under the age of 25, yet this group represents one in four car accident deaths. The vast majority of these deaths are down to speeding-associated risk taking.

Other car accident statistics reveal a young population for who speeding is disturbingly commonplace.

• 77% of young drivers will break the speed limit when overtaking.
• 66% of young drivers will break the speed limit because they are in a rush.
• 33% of young drivers will break the speed limit simply because it is night.
• 47% of young drivers will break the speed limit in town areas.
• 61% of young drivers will break the speed limit in country areas (where they are most likely to be involved in a fatal car accident).

There are plenty of other worrying statistics that explain why young drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents. They are less likely to wear seatbelts, less likely to carry our basic car maintenance, and more likely to drive while drunk or on illegal drugs.

But these statistics viewed in their totality seem to indicate that speed itself is a dangerous enough drug for the UK's disaffected youth and that, often enough, when in their hands, a car becomes a lethal weapon, and car accidents an inevitable consequence of this socio-cultural phenomenon.

It is alarmingly common for courts to hear cases of no win, no fee compensation claims being made against young drivers by friends who've sustained serious personal injuries while passengers in their cars.

In response there have been calls to introduce restrictions on the number of passengers carried by young and new drivers. Confirming the urgency for action are statistics which show that this group of drivers are more than twice as likely to die in a car accident when carrying passengers in their vehicles.

No win, no fee car accident compensation
If you have suffered personal injuries in a car accident as a result of some one else speeding you are entitled to make a no win, no fee claim for compensation.

Your injuries may need treatment or rehabilitation, you may need to cover for loss of earnings or you may have suffered trauma that needs compensating.

The relationship we have with a panel of expert solicitors means we are in the driving seat when it comes to car accident compensation. We have an excellent success rate when it comes to dealing with claims, so we have a wealth of invaluable experience and expertise when it comes to establishing and pursuing yours.

When we say we are no win, no fee, we mean precisely that. We also feel that if you have suffered through no fault of your own in a car accident then you deserve 100% of any car accident compensation awarded. This is why we will give 100% of any compensation award. We understand that when you're down and out, the last thing you want to be doing is lining someone else's pockets.

In fact, we may as well be called the 'win or lose, no fee' claims specialists because that's precisely what we do. Even if you lose your case, you will incur absolutely no fee. We take out an insurance policy to the cover the cost of any case we lose, so there is no risk to you. We don't want our clients to risk financial loss at a time of distress and injury.

So why not contact us today at Car Accident Advice Line to discuss your claim. There are several ways to do this. Choose the one that suits you best. You can fill out an online claim form, request a call back, or call us toll-free on 0808 143 43 42. Let us help you by putting your car accident claim in our hands so that we can give you the chance to put your life back in yours.