John Leech Demands Support for Road Crash Victims

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 4th Dec 2006

John Leech MP wants support for the victims of bereavement through road crash deaths

John Leech, MP for Manchester Withington and Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson for transport, has tabled a parliamentary motion calling on the government to fund support for the victims of bereavement through road crash deaths.

The motion notes the positive impact of "Bereavement Packs" produced by the road safety charity BRAKE, and calls on the government to find sources of funding for these packs and related services.

John Leech says:

"10 families are bereaved through road crashes every day. Most people who die on roads are young or still in the prime of their life and leave behind parents, husbands, wives, partners and children."

"There have been many tragic examples of this in South Manchester in recent years."

"The result can be severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with symptoms including agoraphobia, inability to communicate, uncontrollable anger and distress."

"Yet the law doesn't consider them to have suffered traumatic stress as a result of the death and they cannot claim compensation for their trauma. It is wrong that there is a total lack of funding for support services for bereaved and seriously injured families."

"BRAKE's bereavement guide is an invaluable resource, and police family liaison officers hand it out to every family bereaved on the road."

"The Home Office, quite rightly, funds the charity Victim Support to the tune £30m to support the victims of crimes such as murder, rape, grievous bodily harm and burglary. However, the victims of road deaths do not qualify for such support, even though there are far more deaths on the roads than murders. This needs to be addressed."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Home Office's draft new Victims' Code of Practice states that there is a duty to care for victims - except road crash victims.

On average, someone who dies on the road loses 40 years from their life expectancy

Research by Mirza et al, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry (1998, 172: 443-447), found that 75% of 8-16 year olds injured in a road crash met the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

A 1995 study on the impact of road death and injury by FEVR (the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims) found that "psychological suffering by the victims [of road crashes] and their relatives is often extreme and long-lasting.

The FEVR report found that suffering often increases with time and is "frequently the cause of serious illness which may even lead to death." FEVR found that trauma suffered by people bereaved in a road crash resulted in sleeping problems (49%), distressing nightmares (41%), anxiety attacks (46%), suicidal feelings (37%) and depression (64%).

Other conditions such as eating disorders, alcohol or drug addiction, are also widely reported. Sufferers of diagnosed PTSD may have difficulty holding down a job or relationship and place a largely hidden burden on social services and employers.

BRAKE have a helpline - 01484 421611 - which enables us to verbally explain the guide further over the phone, to both victims and professionals such as police family liaison officers. But Brake receive no funding at all for this service. A Victim Support helpline is funded by the Home Office to support other victims of other crimes.

Early Day Motion 237

FUNDING OF SERVICES FOR ROAD CRASH VICTIMS

22.11.2006

Leech, John

That this House notes with concern the Home Office decision to cease in 2007 funding the Brakecare Bereavement Pack, which provides advice for bereaved families and friends following a death on the road; further notes that additional resources need to be made available to fund a national helpline for road crash victims, a face-to-face support service and training for people working with road crash victims; further notes that the Victims Fund, announced on 12th January 2004, is yet to result in any funds for road crash victims; and therefore calls upon the Government to examine other options for funding services to road crash victims, including a £1 levy on vehicle insurance premiums to provide services for the victims of road crashes.