Midlands Air Ambulance launches Drive4Life initiative.
As the number of road traffic collisions attended by Midlands Air Ambulance Charity continues to rise each year, the emergency pre-hospital service has launched Drive4Life in partnership with M6toll, to highlight the increasing cost of RTCs to the charity.
Each vitally important air ambulance mission costs the organisation £2,500, which is solely funded through the generosity of the communities it serves and local businesses. In 2017, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity attended 664 RTCs, which cost a shocking £1.7million.
Ian Roberts, air operations manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Due to the nature of our operation, and the ability to bring enhanced pre-hospital care to the roadside, the critical care paramedics and doctors often called out to some of the most badly injured patients involved in road-related incidents.
“Unfortunately, there is an upward trend in the number of RTCs we attend year on year, which has a cost impact on the charity. In 2015, we attended 493 RTCs, which cost £1.232million and in 2016, the 541 RTCs cost £1.352million. We saw a 23 per cent increase in RTCs in 2017, which equated to almost two per day and cost £1.7million. Already this year* we have attended 405 RTCs, which cost £1.012million.”
Sofia Voutianitis, corporate partnerships manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, explains Drive4Life: “Having the very best clinical care gives patients the best chance of survival and full recovery, which is why Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s support at an incident scene is so vital in an emergency.
“Due to the rising number of RTCs the aircrew attend each year, the cost to the charity is naturally on the rise too. As a service, which operates solely on donations, it is extremely important we continue to raise funds to ensure we can respond to these patients whenever we’re needed.
“Drive4Life therefore aims to highlight why it is so important to support us, and as part of the campaign, we are working alongside longstanding corporate partner, M6toll, to encourage car dealerships to get involved and donate to us, every time they sell a vehicle.”
James Hodson, director of motorway operations at M6toll, adds: “While statistically the M6toll is one of the safest motorways in the UK, we are always grateful for the lifesaving support of the Midlands Air Ambulance when accidents do occur. We are so proud to support this valuable campaign, helping to communicate vital road safety messages to drivers across the Midlands and beyond.”
To find out more about the Drive4Life campaign, visit here If you’re a car dealership interested in the campaign, contact Sofia Voutianitis on 07901 332 684 or via email sofia.voutianitis@midlandsairambulance.com