IAM report

[martine]

The IAM has commissioned a report to analyse the breakdown of contributory factors in road accidents - you know the 77 checkboxes the police fill in when initially investigating.

The full report is out in April but headlines are:
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“failed to look properly” is the top reason for crashes.

Excessive speeding is a significant factor in fatal crashes (13.9%) but in total actually breaking the speed limit is well down the league table of shame at only 5.2% of all accidents.

Vehicle defects were to blame in only 1.9% of all accidents and impairment or distraction in 11.7%.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So how can BRAKE justify concentrating on reducing speed limits?

Addendum:
Just found this from the BRAKE website...no.7 in their 'pledge 2 drive safely' campaign:
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7. Slow Down - the most important pledge for all drivers. I pledge to drive below limits, taking particular care at junctions, bends and in bad weather, avoiding overtaking, and slowing to 20mph or below around schools and homes.
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[ROG]

So how can BRAKE justify concentrating on reducing speed limits?

Easy to answer -
It is too difficult to get the average driver to drive better in general so they concentrate on the one thing, no matter how relevant, that they think they can influence onto the average driver and the politicians
Politically sound when cash flow into the coffers is a by product

[jont]

So how can BRAKE justify concentrating on reducing speed limits?

Addendum:
Just found this from the BRAKE website...no.7 in their 'pledge 2 drive safely' campaign:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. Slow Down - the most important pledge for all drivers. I pledge to drive below limits, taking particular care at junctions, bends and in bad weather, avoiding overtaking, and slowing to 20mph or below around schools and homes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd love to see a bunch of BRAKE members volunteer to have some data logging done on their drives and see how many actually practice what they're preaching.

[exportmanuk]

;I
jont"];I'd love to see a bunch of BRAKE members volunteer to have some data logging done on their drives and see how many actually practice what they're preaching.

Better still would be for them not to know they being monitored.

Some local parents had been complaining about speeding near the primary school, but I find that the same people are amongst the worst offenders

[zadocbrown]

;I
jont"];I'd love to see a bunch of BRAKE members volunteer to have some data logging done on their drives and see how many actually practice what they're preaching.

Better still would be for them not to know they being monitored.

Some local parents had been complaining about speeding near the primary school, but I find that the same people are amongst the worst offenders

Fundamental attribution error in action, I guess.

Otherwise known as hypocrisy.

[MGF]

Be careful with theses figures.

... contributory factors in road accidents...

is not quite the same as

... reason for crashes...

The report is here

But your point is still made.


The top contributory factors for fatalities (%) appear to be:-

Loss of Control 36 (Which I believe is just as much an effect of something else as it is a cause of the accident so doesn't help us much does it?)

Failed to look properly 24

Careless, reckless or in a hurry 19

Excessive speed 16

Traveling too fast for conditions 14

You can download an Excel spreadsheet for this data here (Article 4 on the right hand table)


I guess the answer to your question is as Rog suggested, it's easier to make people slow down than to get them to focus on the task of driving which appears to be the biggest problem.

[Gromit37]

I would be interested in the practical difference between "Excessive speed" and "Travelling too fast for conditions". Neither refer directly to speed limits, and as we're talking about "accidents" the former surely incorporates the latter?

Perhaps 'Brake' will change their emphasis now?

[crr003]

I would be interested in the practical difference between "Excessive speed" and "Travelling too fast for conditions". Neither refer directly to speed limits, and as we're talking about "accidents" the former surely incorporates the latter?

From a quick glance, I think what is referred to as "excessive speed" is exceeding the speed limit, per STATS20 definition:

306 Exceeding speed limit
Driver/rider caused, or contributed to the accident, by exceeding the posted speed limit. This code should also be used in cases where the actions of another road user were the immediate cause of the accident but a speeding vehicle also contributed to causing the collision. Includes exceeding variable speed limits (eg. on motorways) and speed limits based on vehicle type (including towing). Use this code (not code 307) if driver/rider was exceeding the speed limit and travelling too fast for the conditions.

307 Travelling too fast for conditions
Driver/rider was travelling within the speed limit, but their speed was not appropriate for the road conditions and/or vehicle type (including towing), and contributed to the accident.

[martine]

The report is here

The IAM report isn't published yet and is based on the factors since 2005.

Yes BRAKE could be going for the easy option but I think it's ultimately pointless as it won't achieve their aims. Driver education is the only sustainable way of improving road safety.

[IVORTHE DRIVER]

Yes BRAKE could be going for the easy option but I think it's ultimately pointless as it won't achieve their aims. Driver education is the only sustainable way of improving road safety.

Does it not seem pointless that they carry out all these surveys, collate facts and figures from different sources but never seem to ask the people who could give them the answers, the professional, dedicated, safe drivers actually on the roads every day who see the results of bad driving day after day, actively cutting down the incident rate by their driving skill (ie avoiding the idiots) to whom the answer is obvious....as you so rightly say.DRIVER EDUCATION

Or perhaps its just me

[exportmanuk]

Hi

Not just DRIVER EDUCATION but all road users PEDESTRIANS and CYCLISTS especially

Most drivers are at least predictable but many Pedestrians and a significant number of cyclists are a danger to them selves and everyone around them

[TripleS]

Yes BRAKE could be going for the easy option but I think it's ultimately pointless as it won't achieve their aims. Driver education is the only sustainable way of improving road safety.

Does it not seem pointless that they carry out all these surveys, collate facts and figures from different sources but never seem to ask the people who could give them the answers, the professional, dedicated, safe drivers actually on the roads every day who see the results of bad driving day after day, actively cutting down the incident rate by their driving skill (ie avoiding the idiots) to whom the answer is obvious....as you so rightly say.DRIVER EDUCATION

Or perhaps its just me

No, it isn't just you.

Brake make a great deal of noise based largely on the emotive angle, which inevitably means it sways the thinking of a lot of people. Unfortunately this includes the government, and they are the ones that make the rules. Road user education is the sensible way to reduce the problems, but it's not easy to do, so they look to apply measures that are less difficult for them.

IMHO much more should be done via educational campaigns. Admittedly it would require more effort and cost more money in the early stages, but I suspect a decent return would emerge fairly soon. Alas there is also the problem that most drivers just want to have a driving licence and then be left to get on with it uninterfered with. That too needs to be challenged, and it would not be unreasonable to do it.

Edited to refer to road users, rather than just drivers; prompted by the previous post.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[MGF]

In what way do the public need educating?

Are people unaware that not concentrating on the task of driving creates a risk (unlikley I would've thought) or,

do they miscalculate what level of concentration they need in a given situation or (likely IMO),

do they believe the risk is worth taking as they haven't killed anybody so far (also likely IMO)?

How do we go about educating people on how to calculate risk and how do we determine what is an acceptable level of risk for them to take?

[IVORTHE DRIVER]

In what way do the public need educating?

Are people unaware that not concentrating on the task of driving creates a risk (unlikley I would've thought) or,

do they miscalculate what level of concentration they need in a given situation or (likely IMO),

do they believe the risk is worth taking as they haven't killed anybody so far (also likely IMO)?

How do we go about educating people on how to calculate risk and how do we determine what is an acceptable level of risk for them to take?

Hi,

1..Common sense does not seem to be something you can teach

2..Yes, they are.

3..Yes , they do.

4..Yes, they do.

5..There is NO acceptable level of risk...if it is risky you dont do it...simples

Ivor

[ROG]

5..There is NO acceptable level of risk...if it is risky you dont do it...simples

following that logic..... do not drive a vehicle as that is a risk