IAM Road Accident Contributory Factors Analysis

[st13phil]

The IAM have just published an analysis of contributory factors in road accidents as collected by the Police since 2005.

It makes interesting reading and while the report is honest enough to point out that there are limitations inherent in the data, it really does bring into question why so much of the UK's Road Safety Policy is focussed on speeding and speed limits when the biggest cause of fatalities on our roads is driver error through inattention or insufficient skills.

Anyone who is involved in improvement projects of any sort will recognise that the "low-hanging fruit" where big improvements in performance can be derived with relatively little effort has long since been harvested when it comes to road safety. Automotive engineering improvements have delivered a massive increase in crash survivability and injury reduction, while improvements in road design (elimination of decreasing radius bends, improvements in sightlines and signage, high friction road surfaces etc) have lessened the chance of a driver getting it wrong in the first place. But the opportunity for improvement in those areas is diminishing which leaves just one major untapped improvement opportunity: driver quality.

I wonder when the penny will drop?

 

[flango]

I've been preaching this for years as an advanced instructor, it's lack of education and training that kills, Speed alone does not kill, Speed without ability and control does, lets hope the penny does drop.

 

[whitenemesis]

Interesting reading and very easily to draw the 'wrong' conclusions. The factors are contributory and therefore interactive and non-exclusive. It is easy to see why "Speed" is singled out (not in this report) by Police/politicians/road safety organisations. Add speed to any of the factors and you increase the severity of the consequences.

That said I agree driver education and lack of structured training (most is gained once 'let loose' after passing one's test and completely self taught) are the root of the problems.

 

[Doodle]

Inattention or substandard skills "generally" only rear their head once an incident has occurred. Speeding is more quantifiable and can be detected at all times...

...which dare I say it makes it easier for the PR machine to sell as the great evil, and to fine for and thus fill the coffers

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Interesting reading and very easily to draw the 'wrong' conclusions. The factors are contributory and therefore interactive and non-exclusive. It is easy to see why "Speed" is singled out (not in this report) by Police/politicians/road safety organisations. Add speed to any of the factors and you increase the severity of the consequences.

That said I agree driver education and lack of structured training (most is gained once 'let loose' after passing one's test and completely self taught) are the root of the problems.

The problem is that all the other drivers on the road are less skilled than we are.

 

[st13phil]

The problem is that all the other drivers on the road are less skilled than we are.

Absolutely

The problem is that without an external frame of reference we're likely to overestimate (and sometimes understimate) our skills and abilities. Ongoing education, training and assessment can bring huge benefits in most spheres but the private driver tends to be left out of that sort of regime largely for lack of political will.

 

[st13phil]

Interesting reading and very easily to draw the 'wrong' conclusions. The factors are contributory and therefore interactive and non-exclusive. It is easy to see why "Speed" is singled out (not in this report) by Police/politicians/road safety organisations. Add speed to any of the factors and you increase the severity of the consequences.

No argument about a propensity some have for drawing the 'wrong' conclusions from data such as this. And I do understand (though do not always agree with) the logic that lower speed = lesser consequences.

One thing that I find particularly interesting is that as a general principle, data collected at the behest of politicians tends either not to be used or to be discredited when analysis of it indicates a situation that doesn't coincide with their prejudices or policies