Contributory factors to road accidents

Fifteen UK police forces undertook voluntarily to collect data on the causes of road accidents in addition to the information collected as part of the STATS19 national statistics since 1999. In 2002-2003, some concerns were expressed about this trial system and from 2005 a revised specification was produced. The accident precipitating factor is listed from a choice of 15 factors and contributory factors are chosen from a list of 54. For each contributory factor the reporting officer may indicate their confidence in the judgement by coding it as definite, probable or possible. The data collected reflects the view of the reporting police officer. Five of the precipitating factors listed collectively account for over 80% of the accidents. The most frequently recorded factor was 'failed to avoid vehicle or object in the carriageway', followed by 'loss of control of vehicle', 'failed to give way' 'pedestrian entered carriageway without due care' and poor turn / manoeuvre'. The main precipitating factor in fatal and serious accidents was 'loss of control of vehicle'. The precipitating factor 'pedestrian entered carriageway without due care' was coded in a significantly higher percentage of cases than 'failed to avoid pedestrian (pedestrian not to blame'. The most frequently coded contributory factors were 'inattention', followed by 'failed to judge other persons path or speed' 'looked but did not see', 'behaviour' and 'failed to look'. In fatal accidents the most frequently recorded factor was 'excessive speed'. The relationship of contributory factors to precipitating factors is explored. Differences in the recording of factors were noted when accidents were reported at the scene compared with those reported at the police station. Data on speed and alcohol consumption were considered likely to be under-reported when the police officer was not at the scene. Analyses of contributory factor data are given for two-wheeled motor vehicles. In 82% of these accidents, loss of control of vehicle was the precipitating factor. Excessive speed was also an important factor. When the precipitating factor was attributed to the car the main factor was 'looked but did not see'. When the two wheeled motor vehicle precipitated the accident, 'inexperience of driving' was more important. In accidents involving pedestrians, over 60% of accidents were assigned to 'pedestrian entered carriageway (pedestrian to blame)' but in many cases the car may well have been travelling too fast. For the full text of this document see: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/contributoryfactorstoroadacc.pdf

• Record URL:
  http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/contributoryfactorstoroadacc.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Department for Transport, England

  Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street
  London,   England  SW1P 4DR
• Authors:
  • MOSEDALE, J
  • PURDY, A
  • CLARKSON, E
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 13p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Data collection; Statistics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Causes
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 9003: Cause; 8623: Data acquisition; 6555: Statistics; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01104725
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jul 17 2008 1:14PM