Road safety week – staying safe on icy roads

Staying safe in the cold weather? It’s snow problem! 

Last night, we experienced our first snow of this winter season across the country. Whilst this invites exciting opportunities for snowball fights and cosy nights, this also brings the dangers of icier roads and darker mornings and evenings. 

In 2023, there were over 2200 cases of serious injury arising from road traffic collisions across the UK . As one of only five dedicated major trauma centres in England, and the only in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire that receives children under 16 years of age, the team at Sheffield Children’s is experienced in delivering care for patients and families involved in these incidents. As part of being the Major Trauma Centre for children in the region, Sheffield Children’s has now opened a brand-new helipad to receive children and young people who need urgent care. 

Nichola Anderson has been in the role of Major Trauma Nurse Coordinator at Sheffield Children’s Hospital since 2018. She works as part of a wider team including Rachel Tricks, Clinical lead for Major Trauma , and Major Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinators Hannah Keable and Claire Tripathi. They work hard alongside other services across the Trust to support trauma patients, including those admitted as a result of road traffic collisions, cases of which have doubled in recent times. In particular, the team has noted a rise in patients treated for injuries sustained in road traffic collisions involving e-scooters and e-bikes. These are classed as motor vehicles, meaning they should only be used by individuals holding an appropriate license and insurance. On top of this, they should only be used on private land with the permission of the landowner. 

Nichola said: “Whilst they’re a newer mode of transport, some e-bikes and e-scooters go incredibly fast. Falling off or experiencing a collision involving these vehicles can cause significant injuries. Major trauma injuries can take a long time to heal from physically, but the psychological recovery process can be equally lengthy for the whole family. We want to make sure that parents and children alike are aware of the risks that these vehicles cause.” 

As part of Road Safety Week 2024, a yearly campaign ran by road safety charity BRAKE, we’re on a mission to highlight the importance of making sure that your family is familiar with the principles of road safety as we head further into winter. Nichola said: “We want to make sure that children and families that make up our ever-growing Sheffield Children’s community are aware of road safety principles. Make use of road crossings, pay attention and don’t be absorbed by mobile phones when crossing roads!” 

To learn all about how to be safe around roads this winter, please take a look at the following websites:  

• Brake – www.brake.org.uk  

• CAPT – capt.org.uk 

• ROSPA – www.rospa.com 

• South Yorkshire Police – www.southyorkshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/advice-escooter