Halloween is scary to many but it had a different slant this year as it followed the clocks going back meaning that the evenings get darker that much earlier. It will come as no surprise therefore that there is a rise in road traffic accidents causing catastrophic injuries to children. So at the Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT) the 31st October is all about something much more important than Halloween: it is the start of Gloweek which at PLG we are proud to support.
We see through our work with finding and transforming accommodation for brain injured children the devastating effects of injuries caused by road traffic accidents. And the statistics are sobering. If you thought Halloween was scary, just wait until you see these facts and figures. There is someone killed on the roads every 24 seconds and over 1,350,000 road deaths every year, half of whom will be pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists. As if that isn’t devastating enough, road deaths remain the number 1 killer of people aged 5 to 29.
We all know that behind these frightening figures there are many more young people who have their lives altered overnight by life changing injuries which affect not just them but their families too. We have the privilege at PLG of being able to get to know these families when we look for and adapt properties for them. We just wish that we got to know them through happier circumstances.
Gloweek is a fantastic and fun way to make us all become more aware of the effect of the darker nights on road safety. Darker roads means more hazardous driving and this can lead to more accidents, more injuries and more tragedies. At PLG we wear hi vis jackets all the time on building sites but this week we will be wearing them with an additional purpose: to raise awareness of how important it is for children and young people to be visible on our roads as the nights draw in and to help educate drivers to be looking out for these young people. This could literally save lives.
CBIT really do an unbelievable job and have some amazing fund raising and awareness raising activities running which include posing as glowing superheroes or in a brightly lit dance routine. Or even more importantly you can pledge to talk to a young person about road safety and being seen in the dark. Just check out their website at www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk
At PLG we are delighted to be highlighting these activities as we support CBIT during Gloweek and beyond. If having a conversation about road safety means that one fewer child is killed or injured on Britains roads this winter then its a chat well worth having.
Be safe out there!