In 2019, there were 78,855 road accidents in the UK, with 1,421 of those accidents proving to be fatal (UK Government). According to the latest government statistics based on 2019, there are 9 main contributory factors for reported accidents, including:
- Road environment
- Vehicle defects
- Injudicious action
- Driver or rider error
- Impairment or distraction
- Behaviour or inexperience
- Vision affected by external factors
- Pedestrian only
- Special codes
In this article, we will briefly discuss each contributory factor, before explaining how Dropapin can be used to reduce your risk of accidents on the road.
Road Environment
Factors associated with the road environment caused 12% of total road accidents and 8% of fatal road accidents in 2019. Slippery roads were the biggest problem accounting for 5,576 accidents and 55 deaths that year.
Vehicle Defects
Out of the 9 contributory factors for reported accidents, vehicle defects caused the least number of road accidents and fatalities. 2% of road accidents and fatalities were a result of vehicle defects, with defective brakes being the leading cause of accidents and deaths. However, this figure carries extra weight as vehicle defects are totally preventable with the correct care and maintenance.
Injudicious Action
Injudicious action contributed towards over a quarter (28%) of road-related fatalities in 2019. This factor was attributed to 20% of total road accidents in the UK in 2019. Exceeding the speed limit was the leading cause of death in this category, with 215 deaths (15% of total deaths) being due to speeding. Travelling too fast for the conditions was also a main factor, contributing to 133 deaths (9% of total) and 4,666 accidents (6% of total).
Driver or Rider Error
Errors made by the driver or rider of vehicles were by far the leading contributory factor in terms of both road accidents and fatalities. These errors made up a shocking 62% of total road-related fatalities in 2019, and 66% of total road accidents that year. This meant that 874 people lost their lives due to human error on the roads. Failing to look properly was the main problem in this category, leading to 25% of total fatalities and 37% of total road accidents. Other examples of driver or rider errors included sudden braking, swerving and loss of control.
Impairment or Distraction
Impairment or distraction contributed to 373 (26% of total) fatalities on the roads in 2019. This factor also played a part in 12,197 (15% of total) road accidents. Drink driving had the largest influence on these figures, with 8% of total fatalities and 6% of total accidents being attributed to impairment by way of alcohol.
Behaviour or Inexperience
Incorrect behaviours and driver inexperience contributed to 390 (27%) deaths and 18,180 road accidents (23% of total) in 2019. Careless and reckless driving was the leading contributor in towards both fatalities and accidents in this category, resulting in 19% of the total fatalities and 16% of the total accidents that year.
Vision Affected by External Factors
Problems with the driver or riders’ vision was one of the factors with the least impact on total accidents and fatalities. 7% of total fatalities and 10% of total road accidents were attributed to this factor.
Pedestrian Only
12% of total road accidents in 2019 were related to the behaviour of pedestrians. Furthermore, over 276 (19% of total) deaths were attributed to this factor. The leading factor in this category was pedestrians failing to look properly, causing 127 (9% of total) deaths and 6,575 (8% of total) accidents that year.
Special Codes
The final contributory factor for reported road accidents was special codes, which included: stolen vehicles, vehicles used in crime, emergency vehicles on call, vehicle doors opened/closed negligently and other. Together, these factors led to 93 fatalities (7% of total) and 3,677 accidents (5% of total).
How Dropapin Can Reduce Your Risk on the Roads
Dropapin can help to reduce the risks that commercial drivers face on the roads in several ways. Firstly, our software allows you to track various driving behaviours, such as braking, acceleration and speed. As a result, managers can assess whether their staff are driving safely on the roads and behaving in the correct manner as a representative of your company. Using this information, drivers can then make informed decisions about what improvements they can make in order to reduce their risk of road accidents e.g. less harsh braking or reduce speeds.
Furthermore, Dropapin’s playback feature enables users to view which routes have been travelled by drivers. In turn, managers can understand whether their drivers are choosing the fastest and safest routes possible. Choosing the best routes will reduce the likelihood of drivers making errors due to being in a hurry – which to remind you caused 264 (19% of total) fatalities on the roads in 2019!
Final Thoughts
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you now have a better understanding of the statistics around the main causes of road accidents in the UK. If you have any questions related to any of the topics discussed in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help.
