Many Brits in insecure homes, study shows

Personal injury solicitors Rochdale are reminding people to ensure their household is properly secured, especially as the dark nights draw in and the fear of criminality increases.

Research by MoneySuperMarket revealed many Brits are failing to adhere to even the most basic home protection strategies, with 1.6 million people, or 3% of the nation, actually leaving a spare key to their home under the doormat. This means that criminals - who may be planning worse than a burglary - only need to check 33 doormats before they find a key to enter a property.

Furthermore, a massive 25% of people admitted occasionally leaving their windows and doors unlocked when the house is unoccupied, making the building a target for criminals. No win no fee solicitors Rochdale know that many criminals are opportunistic, and seeing an open window could be all it takes for them to decide to break into a building.

Social media poses new risks to home security, with 17% of people aged 18 to 34 saying they post on social networking sites when they are going to be away from home. Many high-profile burglaries have occurred due to this issue, with footballers and celebrities finding that these Tweets and Facebook posts can see their houses ransacked.

Bonfire Night in Manchester One Of The Safest For Years

Personal injury solicitors Manchester are pleased to hear that November 5th appears to have been one of the safest bonfire nights the city has seen for years, with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service only responding to 306 calls.

This compares with 649 calls in 2012, 651 calls in 2011, 437 calls in 2010 and 564 calls in 2009.

Furthermore, the vast majority of the call-outs the fire service responded to were small rubbish fires that had grown out of control, were too close to other structures such as buildings, or were not properly supervised by adults.

The busiest time of the day was between 8pm and 9om, when fire crews answered 56 different calls. Between 6pm and 11pm, the fire service received a total of 174 calls.

No win no fee solicitors Manchester believe that public safety campaigns may have had an impact, with many revelers choosing to visit safer organised displays, such as that at Heaton Park.

The most serious Bonfire-related incident the fire service responded to was in Bolton, where they were called to Hardmans, in the Bromley Cross area.

Preston consumers warned to 'check' used cars before sales so they don't 'regret it'

Personal injury solicitors cash advance Preston would like to reassert the importance of checking the safety of used cars, as Lancashire Trading Standards takes part in the 'Check it, don't regret it' campaign.

No win no fee solicitors Preston occasionally see road traffic accident claims advance payment involving faulty used cars that were missold to the buyer, and Lancashire Trading Standards received more than 700 complaints about used cars in the last 123 months.

Buyers must not feel pressured into buying a car before performing some basic and essential checks, such as by examining the service history, the MOT certificate and the car's V5 registration documents.

Furthermore, second-hand car dealers must be honest and up-front with any potential customers so that people can make a fully informed decision before going ahead with a sale.

Second-hand vehicles with faults can put the health and safety of the driver, their family, their friends and the general public at risk, and personal injury solicitors Preston know that simple safety checks could easily have prevented many of these injuries from occurring.

The 'Check it, don't regret it' campaign began this week and will continue over a fortnight. It will involve promotions, advertisements and awareness-raising to ensure that people are certain used cars are legal, safe and what they appear to be before they buy it.

Man prosecuted for failing to take drink-driving test

With a father of four from Bolton convicted of failing to provide a test for drink-driving, personal injury solicitors Bolton would like to remind motorists of the dangers of driving while drunk.

Mark McGreevy, a landscape gardener from Walter Avenue, was fined £250 with costs of £200 and a £25 victim surcharge at Blackpool Magistrates Court. He was also banned from driving for 28 months, the Lytham St Anne's Express reported.

He could not provide a breath test due to his asthma, and said a fear of needles prevented him from giving a blood test, but he also failed to provide a urine sample for analysis. Officers received reports of a car crash on June 22^nd at approximately 8pm, and arrived at the scene at North Houses Lane to discover McGreevy staggering along the road. Investigators believe that his car had mounted the grass verge after failing to negotiate a bend, which blew out the engine and a Tyre.

McGreevy admitted that he thought he might have gotten away with drink-driving by refusing to provide a sample and that he knew he was over the limit.

In 2012, figures from the Department forTransport show 250 people lost their lives in road accidents involving drink-drivers A total of 68% of these deaths were riders and drivers who were intoxicated at the time of the collision, with the remaining 32% other people who were involved in the accident, such as passengers or innocent road users. Personal injury solicitors Bolton are concerned that drink-driving is still going on in the district.

This marks an annual increase in the number of deaths caused by drink driving. In 2011, 220 people lost their lives. Furthermore, fewer drink drive accidents occurred in 2011 than did in 2012 - while there were 6,680 accidents involving drink drivers in 2011, there were 6,690 in 2012.

Just one death or injury involving a drink driver is too many, and despite huge campaigns against drink driving, there are still many road users who drive while drunk and cause preventable motor vehicle accidents. 

Burnley Beautified By Love Where You Live Campaign

The Love Where You Live campaign has been given the thumbs up by personal injury solicitors Burnley.

Radio station 2BR and Burnley Council collaborated to ask residents of the borough to nominate locations that needed cleaning, such as those that attract littering and fly-tipping. Clearwater Solicitors, a no win no fee solicitors Burnley practice, point out that not only is this initiative beautifying the area and making the town more pleasant to live in and walk through, but it is also improving public safety and reducing the local authority's liability in personal injury claims.

So far, the ten most frequently nominated sites have been visited and cleaned up, with Stanley Street and Gannow Top roundabout receiving special attention, including help from Veolia Environmental Services. Not only did they pick up litter, but they also cut back any overgrown vegetation, creating safe areas for the local community to enjoy.

The Love Where You Live scheme was launched by Keep Britain Tidy and involves initiatives across the UK. It aims to encourage members of the public to make the place they live the kind of place they would like it to be, making communities safer, cleaner and more pleasant to live in. Poor maintenance of public land and poor standards of cleanliness or litter prevention are common factors in slip and trip payment in advance claims or other personal injury claims seen by personal injury solicitors Burnley, making the campaign a positive force for public safety.

Motorcyclist Dies In Bury Road Traffic Accident

Following the tragic death of Gary Bell, personal injury solicitors Bury would like to remind drivers and motorcyclists to look out for each other.

Motorcyclist Mr Bell, 23, was in a road traffic accident on Friday November 1^st at around 10:30, and he died of his injuries the next day in Salford Royal Hospital.

It is believed that he was riding his white Yamaha motorbike on Bond Street when the accident happened. He overtook a vehicle and collided with a Toyota at the Bond Street / Walsh Lane junction, sustaining serious chest and head injuries. Police are appealing for information.

No win no fee solicitors Bury know that the risk of motorcyclist accidents will increase over winter, and would like to provide the following advice.

Motorcyclists:

-          Wear bright clothing

-          Ride defensively

-          Maximise visibility

-          Wear protective equipment, including the right helmet

-          Stay observant and alert

-          Glance over your shoulder before performing any manoeuvres

-          Ensure you can slow down or stop if you have to

Drivers:

-          Look out for bikes

-          Take time to check for motorcyclists at junctions or when merging

-          Don't drive too close to motorcyclists

-          Keep aware of motorcyclists when turning into new roads

-          Remember motorcyclists can pass on either side

-          Park in a safe and considerate fashion and check for motorcyclists when opening your doors

Don't gamble with used cars, National Consumer Week warns

With National Consumer Week beginning on November 4^th, personal injury solicitors Bolton would like to echo the warnings of Trading Standards North West and advise people to take care when buying second-hand cars.

People ought to ask themselves three key questions when purchasing new cars:

-          Is it safe?

-          Is it what I want?

-          Is it legal?

There are a number of checks that must be done to ensure this is the case. These are:

-          MOT checks

-          Service history checks

-          Registration document checks

-          Finance history check

-          Write off check

-          Car recalled checks

-          Price value guide checks

-          Engineers checks

-          Walk around checks

-          Test-drives

Be Prepared For Winter, No Win No Fee Solicitors Blackburn Warn

With winter fast approaching, personal injury solicitors Blackburn would advise people to begin getting ready for the cold weather as soon as possible.

So how can you prepare for winter? The following tips should help:

1.           Prepare vehicles and buildings for the cold weather
2.           Take personal responsibility for your own health and well being
3.       Look out for friends and family, especially those in vulnerable groups such as the elderly or people with chronic health problems
4.           Keep aware of the weather forecast and any Met Office weather warnings
5.           Be ready to change your plans if you have to

No win no fee solicitors Blackburn would strongly advise people to occasionally visit the Met Office's website and to heed its warnings. The Met Office works alongside contingency planners, the government, the voluntary sector and other partner organisations to ensure it has the best possible advice available, helping the general public and businesses deal with the hazards posed by severe weather conditions.

No win no fee solicitors Blackburn warn against drinking Zam Zam water

Personal injury solicitors Blackburn would urge members of the public to avoid drinking Zam Zam water.

Zam Zam water should come from Saudi Arabia, where it is sourced from the Well of Zam Zam in Mecca. Muslims consider Zam Zam water sacred, believing that the water is miraculously sourced by God, and that the well has never gone dry despite producing millions of gallons of water every year.

However, it is illegal to export Zam Zam water from Saudi Arabia for sale, so any such water available in the UK could come from anywhere. Tests have shown that this water may contain dangerously high levels of nitrates or arsenic, which could lead to serious illness or death, and personal injury solicitors Blackburn, would strongly advise people to avoid drinking it.

Chief Trading Standards Officer for Lancashire County Council Paul Noone recently revealed that a large consignment of this water has been imported into Lancashire, with the local authority working with any businesses involved in this consignment to ensure the water is not sold for human consumption.

Clearwater Solicitors, a team of no win no fee solicitors Blackburn; warn that drinking Zam Zam water could lead to a range of serious diseases, including cancer. While the risks posed by drinking a small amount of this water are very low, they become exponentially greater when more water is consumed. There are no safe levels of arsenic in drinking water, but recent tests on Zam Zam water have shown the levels of arsenic within this water could be three times the amount legally permissible.

Quietway routes 'should improve cyclist safety in London'

Personal injury solicitors London have welcomed moves to make the borough of Haringey safer for cyclists.

A network of 'Quietway' routes will be developed for cyclists in the region. These will use direct, quiet back streets to provide high-quality, guided travel around Haringey, connecting central London and other major centres together.

While these routes are still currently in development, with more details set to be announced in the immediate future, no win no fee solicitors London practice Clearwater Solicitors are pleased with the news that bike riding in Haringey will soon be considerably safer.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson aims for cycling to represent a 5% modal share of London's traffic by 2026, with trends indicating that this is target is set to be outstripped. In 2001, just 77,300 people in London reported that they commuted by cycling, but in 2011, this figure had more than doubled to reach 154,900.

So far in 2013, eight people have lost their lives in cycling accidents in the capital, while personal injury solicitors London have seen countless minor and serious injuries sustained by cyclist in the city this year. 

HGVs, coaches and buses pose a particular risk to cyclists and are seen in around one-fifth of all cyclist fatalities and one-quarter of all serious cycling accidents in London. Other common factors in London cycling accident claims include cyclists going out into the roads or cutting across traffic, showing how important separate cyclist lanes are to improving the safety of cyclists.