Reasons for accidents
Discussion
A recent DoT review of the accident statistics in a recent year shed some interesting light on the causation factors..(guess what? Speed isn't at the top..
)
Inattention 25.5%
Failure to judge other driver's speed/path 22.6%
Looked, but did not 'see' 19.7%
Careles, thoughtless or reckless behaviour 18.4%
Excessive Speed 12.5%
Slippery Road 8.2%
Alcohol 6.6%
Following too closely 5.6%
Poor overtaking 2.7%
Street
) Inattention 25.5%
Failure to judge other driver's speed/path 22.6%
Looked, but did not 'see' 19.7%
Careles, thoughtless or reckless behaviour 18.4%
Excessive Speed 12.5%
Slippery Road 8.2%
Alcohol 6.6%
Following too closely 5.6%
Poor overtaking 2.7%
Street
In Jacko's small(ish) sample of 3 accidents (2:1 on agregate)
Inattention 33% (I was going too slow and looking at the view- My fault.)
Failure to judge other driver's speed/path 33% (I overtook a car that turned right into a car park with out indicating - but hey I lost that one due to picasso woman being a lying cow)
Poor overtaking 33% (X Type Twat cut in too early - I won this in Kemp Vs Jackson at Liverpool Small Claims)
Inattention 33% (I was going too slow and looking at the view- My fault.)
Failure to judge other driver's speed/path 33% (I overtook a car that turned right into a car park with out indicating - but hey I lost that one due to picasso woman being a lying cow)
Poor overtaking 33% (X Type Twat cut in too early - I won this in Kemp Vs Jackson at Liverpool Small Claims)
cptsideways said:
I wonder in the inattention part has increased in recent years due to excessive attention to a certain little dial in the dashboard?
As much as I giggled when I read that (or smirked, I can't remember now)...I don't think that is it at all...
Inattention in my experience of dealing with accidents is split into two categories.
1) The driver whos mind is elsewhere; work problems, financial problems, problems with the wife, problems with the girlfriend, problems when wife finds out about girlfriend etc etc.
2) The driver who is paying attention to his driving, but isn't driving defensively. The idea that 'I have the right of way on this particular part of the road, so I'm not going to slow down or pay attention to that car about to emerge from a side street, because they should Give Way to me'
Street
Streetcop said:
I wonder in the inattention part has increased in recent years due to excessive attention to a certain little dial in the dashboard?
As much as I giggled when I read that (or smirked, I can't remember now)...I don't think that is it at all...
Inattention in my experience of dealing with accidents is split into two categories.
1) The driver whos mind is elsewhere; work problems, financial problems, problems with the wife, problems with the girlfriend, problems when wife finds out about girlfriend etc etc.
2) The driver who is paying attention to his driving, but isn't driving defensively. The idea that 'I have the right of way on this particular part of the road, so I'm not going to slow down or pay attention to that car about to emerge from a side street, because they should Give Way to me'
Street
Morning Streetcop, I hope you are well.
I have to agree with you on this one. One day we will disagree on something ..........but for now
I have too noticed an attitude amongst some drivers that "I am in the right of way, so I don't care if someone is emerging from a side road....they must give way to me"
In fact, years ago, a neighbour of mine who was old enough to know better, actually said that to me. He had just had an accident for this very reason. He was on main carriageway and hit a vehicle emerging from a side road. Arrogance of the man was astounding!!
As for the inattention part, it happens to us all from time to time. How many times have you drove to work and said to yourself "How did I get there....dont remember driving through such and such piece of road. It is all too easy to let your attention wander, esp. in summer
, but I must say that it doesn't seem to happen when I 'm riding. Nust be something to do with the extra awareness of surroundings, and no steel cage around you. cuneus said:
Gareth
in your experience roughly how many accidents are in excess of the speed limit ?
Hi David..
Difficult to say...
For me, I tend to split accidents down to big or small (keep it simple eh?)
Small ones are the rear end shunts, or the turning right in front of another car etc.
Big ones are the same sort of accident but where one of the vehicles was travelling fast or when a vehicle is travelling at excessive speed and loses control.
Small ones tend not to cause serious injury and rarely involve death (unless it's car v pedestrian)
Big ones Do cause serious injury and sometime death.
That's where the problem of speed comes into it. You're much more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a RTC that involved excessive speed. (Whether it be illegally excessive or excessive in the circumstances).....
Don't get me wrong, I know all about the thrill of speed, whether it be riding my 1100cc motorbike or policecar with blue/twos. However, I've attended lots of accidents were bodies have been torn apart and lives lost and it really brings the whole thing home to you. I don't think a week passes when I don't consider getting rid of the motorbike or when I don't rebuke myself for trying to get to an emergency a 'little too quickly'.
I think if people experienced the emotions and witnessed the sights that emergency services see, their driving would alter dramatically. Having said that, how long it would alter for depends on the individual. After some time has passed, it clouds our memories of what we've seen, heard and felt and that combined with the fact we're late for a meeting or late to pick up the wife means we again 'put our foot down.'
I'm not preaching, I'm really not...I'm just reflecting on the bad things a little bit..
Street
WildCat said:
All the more reason why the emphasis should not be on speed speed speed and cameras, talivans etc.
Emphasis should be on promoting COAST - regularly - especially the O A and S bits!
What are you on about woman? O A S Coast, water, beaches...what's happening?
As for emphasis on speed cameras etc....we've been there before...going round in circles...Cameras don't need rest periods, wages, holiday or pensions..
Street
TheExcession said:
Interesting, nothing on mechanical failure...
tyre blow out etc etc...
best
Ex
Too small a number or real/accurate/true examples of mechanical/equipment failure. Despite many suggestions to such reasons by chavs involved in single vehicle accidents..
As for equipment failure...
Manufacturers are required by law to design and engineer cars that meet a minimum safety standard. Computers, combined with companies' extensive research and development, have produced safe vehicles that are easy and safe to drive. The most cited types of equipment failure are loss of brakes, tire blowouts or tread separation, and steering/suspension failure. With the exception of the recent rash of Firestone light-truck tire failures, combined totals for all reported equipment failure accounts for less than 5% of all motor vehicle accidents.
Brakes - Modern dual-circuit brake systems have made total brake failure an unlikely event. If one side of the circuit fails, the other side is usually sufficient to stop a vehicle. Disc brakes,found on the front wheels of virtually every modern vehicle, are significantly more effective than the older drum braking systems, which can fade when hot. ABS (Anti Blockier System) or anti-lock brakes prevent the wheels from locking up during emergency braking maneuvers, allowing modern vehicles to avoid many accidents that previously would have occured.
Tyres - Today's radial tyres are significantly safer than the bias-ply tires of 25 years ago. They still, however, need attention regularly. Underinflation, the most frequent cause of tire failure, is considered the main culprit in the recent Firestone tire-failure fatalities. Uneven or worn-out tyres are the next most serious problem and can also lead to tyre failure. Uneven wear is caused by improperly balanced tires, or misaligned or broken suspensions. Remember, all that keeps you connected to the roadway is your tyres. If you don't check your own, have your mechanic check them every 5,000 miles.
Steering & Suspension - Your suspension keeps your tires in contact with the roadway in a stable and predictable manner. Your steering enables you to go around road obstacles and avoid potential accidents. Even a safe, well-trained driver is helpless in the event of a steering or suspension system failure. Such failures are catastrophic, especially at high speeds. Have your suspension and steering systems checked out by a mechanic every 10,000 miles.
With regular component inspections by trained individuals, equipment failures can be virtually eliminated.
Street
TheExcession said:
Interesting, nothing on mechanical failure...
tyre blow out etc etc...
best
Ex
These statistics are taken from the form which Police Officers fill in on arriving at and filling in the paperwork at injury accidents. The 'reasons' recorded are down to the individual officers opinion of why the accident happened and are tick box type coded answers which are then sent on to the accident statistics department at the local authority for collation and evaluation.
If a panda driver or foot patrol attends an injury accident, then the form must be filled in with information which he/she decides will be relevant to the cause.
The section you listed above is catered for within the form. It very rarely features at all because it does nto happen very often as a contributory cause. In fact over all the years I have attended accidents, I can only think of a handfull that may have a contributory factor caused by a vehicle defect and even less that actually have!
Streetcop said:
A recent DoT review of the accident statistics in a recent year shed some interesting light on the causation factors..(guess what? Speed isn't at the top..
Inattention 25.5%
Failure to judge other driver's speed/path 22.6%
Looked, but did not 'see' 19.7%
Careles, thoughtless or reckless behaviour 18.4%
Excessive Speed 12.5%
Slippery Road 8.2%
Alcohol 6.6%
Following too closely 5.6%
Poor overtaking 2.7%
Street
Im amazed frustration is not on the list. Frustration that is only using 1 horse when i have 349 left
Streetcop said:
All the more reason why the emphasis should not be on speed speed speed and cameras, talivans etc.
Emphasis should be on promoting COAST - regularly - especially the O A and S bits!
What are you on about woman? O A S Coast, water, beaches...what's happening?
As for emphasis on speed cameras etc....we've been there before...going round in circles...Cameras don't need rest periods, wages, holiday or pensions..
Street
Liebchen!
Ya mean (gasp
) you are a cop and you do not know what COAST is? 
BiBs in this family and they are always bangin' on about it! Even LanCASH£re has caught on to it! They teach it to their naughty speeders now! All are interlinked and rely on each other very much.
Concentration (awareness, safety, legality, consideration, controls , feel of condition, choice of gear, speed, vehicle control and balance, concentrating on response and flexibility.
Observation (information, mirrors, strategy planning - even using shop window to see on-coming traffic if lucky enough to be there at corner/bend in road - you know - using what is there to help you see! Position, communicating with other road users. Observing road markings and lollipops and er - yellow tins!
and COP CARS larking around with bags of doughnuts and a hairdryer! Anticipation (hazard development perception, maximising safety margins, communicating with other road users (signals), maximising all round view around us, refining the strategy for dealing with said hazard - choice of gear, speed of approach - SAFE SPEED TO PROCEED that sort of thing. (bit like what our Paulie is on about too!
showing courtesy. Space (maximising flexibility, creating space, assisting an overtake, ditching the taligater from hell, correct gear/speed again
Time (allowing sufficient time for journey, legality, safety, two second gaps etc.)
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