Most people think about a serious collision as the event itself. The emergency services attend, the vehicles are recovered and the road reopens. However, for many of the individuals and families involved, that is only the beginning of the story.
When a serious collision occurs, attention naturally turns to understanding what happened. We look for an explanation because it helps us make sense of events. Perhaps somebody was distracted. Perhaps they were travelling too fast. Perhaps visibility was poor, the weather conditions were challenging or a decision was made at the wrong moment. The reality, however, is often more complex.
Understanding why a serious collision happened is essential. Equally important, however, is understanding what it teaches us and those lessons extend beyond the cause of the collision itself. They include the injuries sustained, the emergency response and the opportunities to reduce future harm. To explore that further, I spoke to people who encounter serious collisions from very different perspectives, from those working to prevent them through to those supporting individuals and families in their aftermath.
Learning Before the Next Collision
Dr Suzy Charman OBE, Executive Director, Road Safety Foundation, said: “Recognising that every serious or fatal collision presents an opportunity to learn is important so that we can prevent future collisions. Increasingly, road safety partnerships are bringing organisations together through fatal collision review panels to identify systemic changes that may help prevent similar tragedies in the future. At the same time, risk assessment tools like International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) allow us to identify known road safety risks before collisions have the chance to accumulate and address them using proven speed management and infrastructure countermeasures. We don’t need to wait for someone to die before we take action.”
It highlights an important shift in thinking. Understanding serious and fatal collisions is not only about investigating what happened after the event, it is also about identifying risks, understanding patterns and taking action before future lives are affected.
When Perspective Changes
Bernice Spurgeon, Legal Director at Ellisons, reflected on her own experience: “Having spent many years supporting people affected by serious road traffic collisions, I understood the consequences these incidents can have for individuals and families. However, experiencing a serious collision first-hand brought everything into much sharper focus. You realise that conversations about prevention, awareness and responsibility aren’t abstract discussions. They’re about people like us, real families and lives that can change in an instant.”
It is a stark reminder that road safety is not simply a policy discussion or a professional concern. The people affected are often individuals and families who set off expecting an entirely ordinary day.
When Every Minute Matters
Ben Myer, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Service Development Lead, explained: “Road Traffic Collisions consistently are our second most attended incidents after Cardiac Arrests. We’re called when there are concerns about significant serious injuries, when time is critical or when reaching a patient quickly is particularly challenging. What strikes me is that these incidents almost always begin as ordinary journeys. Someone driving to work or visiting family. Perhaps they’re just heading home. In many cases, when we arrive, a great deal has already happened. Those early minutes can make a real difference and can save lives.”
It highlights another aspect of serious collisions that is often overlooked. The most serious consequences are not always visible at the roadside. They emerge over time as individuals begin to understand the extent of their injuries and the challenges that may lie ahead.
Why It Matters
One thing these conversations reinforced is that serious and fatal collisions are rarely defined by a single moment. Understanding how they happen matters and understanding their consequences matters too. Yet perhaps the most important lesson is that every serious collision presents an opportunity to learn.
Every serious collision leaves questions behind. Some help explain what happened, while others help us understand how similar collisions might be prevented in the future. Those lessons do not end when the road reopens or the investigation concludes, they continue through rehabilitation, recovery and, for some families, for years afterwards. We cannot change what has already happened, but by understanding it more fully we create opportunities to reduce future harm.
