LAUNCH: Amjad Malik and his family have been campaigning to raise awareness around reckless driving since his son, Saliq, was tragically killed in a car accident last year
LAUNCH: Amjad Malik and his family have been campaigning to raise awareness around reckless driving since his son, Saliq, was tragically killed in a car accident last year

Bereaved family raising awareness of Bradford’s roads

A Bradford father, who tragically lost one of his son’s in a car accident last year, has opened his own family offices in the city this week, aiming to improve awareness on road safety.

Amjad Malik was joined by dozens of guests on Wednesday 12th August to officially open the ‘Consequences of Reckless Driving (C.O.R.D)’ base on Manningham Lane.

In September 2014, 15-year-old Saliq Malik was tragically killed when the car he was travelling in collided into a wall and lamppost on Gilpin Street, Barkerend.

In the aftermath of his death, the young teen’s family were supported by West Yorkshire Police and have been campaigning to raise awareness about safety on the city’s roads.

OPEN: Bradford East MP Imran Hussain was on hand to cut the ribbon to the new C.O.R.D offices on Wednesday
OPEN: Bradford East MP Imran Hussain was on hand to cut the ribbon to the new C.O.R.D offices on Wednesday

The new offices will act as a base for the continuation of campaigning work, which Mr Malik hopes to take into schools and local institutions later this year, as well as a support network for families affected by similar tragedies.

“To have the offices as a contact point is a big thing for us,” Mr Malik said. “We have funded this ourselves and our target is to educate young people about the consequences of reckless driving.

“We want to get into schools, mosques, madrassas, gurdwaras, temples and churches to reach out to the youth and share with them our own experiences of losing a son in a car accident.

“It is all about raising awareness amongst these young people first and foremost so we can ensure no other families suffer the same way we have.”

Currently, a team of five to six volunteers are in charge of running the offices, with C.O.R.D’s first booking at the West Yorkshire Police Camp this week.

An official ribbon cutting took place at the offices last week with Bradford East MP Imran Hussain on hand to show his support for the project.

Speaking on the night, Mr Hussain praised the project. “I’m here today to support Amjad Malik,” he said.

“I know he has really brought this issue to the forefront and I know he will continue to be an active campaigner. As a local politician, we really want this at the forefront from the council’s perspective.

“We are going to continue to support this organisation and in my new role now as an MP I will make a promise here that it is something that I am not going to forget.”

Sergeant Karl Quinn of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team also spoke at the opening of the offices.

“I have been dealing with accidents such as Saliq’s since 2004,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with families such as Mr Malik’s and lots of other families in and around the Bradford area who have suffered a loss due to sometimes just a momentary lapse in concentration.

“Nobody sets off expecting to have an accident and nobody sets off expecting to kill somebody.”