It’s our own fault: ‘Human error causes 3 out of 4 crashes’

HUMAN error is the most common cause of road accidents, a new study has found.
PAPA
PA

The Department of Transport says driver or rider error or reaction were contributory factors in 74% of accidents last year - involving more than 117,000 casualties.

The second highest factor was ‘behaviour or inexperience’ which was a contributory factor in 26% of accidents, accounting for more than 40,000 casualties.

The main contributory factors were:

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Contributory factor reported in accident/Number of casualties/Percentage of accidents cited in

• Driver-rider error or reaction 74%

• Behaviour or inexperience 26%

• Injudicious action 25%

• Impairment or distraction 14%

• Road environment contributed 13%

• Vehicle defects 2%

Neil Greig of the Institute of Advanced Motorists said: “People often blame their car, the road, or the other driver for the accidents and near misses that they have. These figures show that in the vast majority of cases, it’s the driver or rider themselves who is to blame.

“Changing attitudes is the key factor when it comes to reducing the numbers of casualties on our roads. People must accept responsibility for enhancing their own skills and recognising their limitations.”

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