Table M: Contributory Factors: Reported accidents1,2 by severity, 2020

Table M: Contributory Factors: Reported accidents1,2 by severity, 2020

Road environment contributed 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Poor or defective road surface 0 0 12 1 11 1 23 1
Deposit on road (eg oil, mud, chippings) 0 0 16 2 14 1 30 1
Slippery road (due to weather) 9 9 80 9 142 10 231 10
Inadequate/masked signs or road markings 0 0 5 1 8 1 13 1
Defective traffic signals 0 0 1 0 4 0 5 0
Traffic calming (eg road humps, chicanes 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Temporary road layout (eg contraflow) 0 0 1 0 3 0 4 0
Road layout (eg bend, hill, narrow c-way 2 2 18 2 30 2 50 2
Animal or other object in carriageway 0 0 6 1 18 1 24 1
Sunken,raised or slippery inspection cov 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 11 11 127 15 211 16 349 15
Vehicle defects 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Tyres illegal, defective or under-inflat 2 2 4 0 6 0 12 1
Defective lights or indicators 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0
Defective brakes 0 0 4 0 9 1 13 1
Defective steering or suspension 0 0 2 0 4 0 6 0
Overloaded or poorly loaded vehicle/trailer 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
Total 3 3 11 1 22 2 36 2
Injudicious action (driver/rider) 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Disobeyed automatic traffic signal 0 0 15 2 32 2 47 2
Disobeyed Give Way or Stop sign or marki 1 1 18 2 44 3 63 3
Disobeyed double white line 1 1 3 0 1 0 5 0
Disobeyed pedestrian crossing facility 1 1 9 1 9 1 19 1
Illegal turn or direction of travel 2 2 13 1 10 1 25 1
Exceeding speed limit 12 12 43 5 45 3 100 4
Travelling too fast for the conditions 13 13 65 7 74 5 152 7
Following too close 2 2 19 2 66 5 87 4
Vehicle travelling along pavement 1 1 1 0 1 0 3 0
Cyclist entering road from pavement 1 1 8 1 12 1 21 1
Total 27 27 178 20 277 20 482 21
Driver/rider error or reaction 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Junction overshoot 0 0 9 1 16 1 25 1
Junction restart 0 0 4 0 12 1 16 1
Poor turn or manoeuvre 11 11 80 9 133 10 224 10
Failed to signal / misleading signal 0 0 6 1 8 1 14 1
Failed to look properly (D/R) 31 31 229 26 408 30 668 29
Failed to judge other pers path/speed (D 16 16 88 10 164 12 268 12
Too close to cyclist,horse or pedestrian 2 2 17 2 18 1 37 2
Sudden braking 0 0 18 2 37 3 55 2
Swerved 2 2 10 1 19 1 31 1
Loss of control 20 20 131 15 141 10 292 13
Total 61 62 467 54 780 58 1,308 56
Impairment or distraction (driver/rider) 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Impaired by alcohol (D/R) 3 3 28 3 48 4 79 3
Impaired by drugs (illicit/medicinal) (D) 5 5 17 2 30 2 52 2
Fatigue 3 3 7 1 15 1 25 1
Uncorrected defective eyesight 1 1 4 0 1 0 6 0
Illness or disability (mental/physic) (D) 10 10 21 2 24 2 55 2
Not display lights at night / in poor visibility 0 0 4 0 2 0 6 0
Cyclist wearing dark clothing at night 0 0 4 0 2 0 6 0
Driver using mobile phone 1 1 1 0 1 0 3 0
Distraction in vehicle 2 2 19 2 14 1 35 2
Distraction outside vehicle 0 0 4 0 5 0 9 0
Total 21 21 97 11 139 10 257 11
Behaviour or inexperience (driver/rider) 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Aggressive driving 4 4 16 2 22 2 42 2
Careless / reckless /in a hurry (D/R) 13 13 78 9 106 8 197 8
Nervous / uncertain / panic 2 2 5 1 4 0 11 0
Driving too slow for condits / slow vehicle 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Inexperienced or learner driver/rider 0 0 19 2 12 1 31 1
Inexperience of driving on the left 2 2 0 0 2 0 4 0
Inexperience with type of vehicle 0 0 3 0 3 0 6 0
Total 19 19 112 13 142 10 273 12
Vision affected 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Stationary or parked vehicle 1 1 18 2 26 2 45 2
Vegetation 0 0 1 0 3 0 4 0
Road layout (eg bend, winding rd, hill c 2 2 5 1 4 0 11 0
Buildings, road signs, street furniture 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Dazzling headlights 2 2 3 0 3 0 8 0
Dazzling sun 4 4 16 2 31 2 51 2
Rain, sleet, snow or fog 3 3 15 2 26 2 44 2
Spray from other vehicles 0 0 1 0 4 0 5 0
Visor/windscreen dirty/scratched/frosted 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 0
Vehicle blind spot 1 1 6 1 7 1 14 1
Total 12 12 63 7 93 7 168 7
Pedestrian only 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Crossed road masked by stationary/parked 1 1 19 2 18 1 38 2
Pedestrian failed to look properly 9 9 84 10 85 6 178 8
Ped. failed to judge vehicles path or sp 4 4 18 2 18 1 40 2
Wrong use of pedestrian crossing facility 0 0 11 1 2 0 13 1
Dangerous action in carriageway (eg play 3 3 11 1 10 1 24 1
Pedestrian impaired by alcohol 3 3 18 2 16 1 37 2
Ped. impaired by drugs (illicit/medicinal) 3 3 4 0 7 1 14 1
Ped. careless / reckless /in a hurry 3 3 18 2 11 1 32 1
Pedestrian wearing dark clothing at night 8 8 11 1 4 0 23 1
Ped. disability or illness, mental/physical 2 2 7 1 2 0 11 0
Total23 23 140 16 138 10 301 13
Special codes 4
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3 Number Percent3
Stolen vehicle 0 0 3 0 4 0 7 0
Vehicle in course of crime 0 0 8 1 11 1 19 1
Emergency vehicle on call 0 0 4 0 11 1 15 1
Vehicle door opened or closed negligently 0 0 3 0 2 0 5 0
Other 1 1 24 3 21 2 46 2
Total 1 1 42 5 46 3 89 4
Totals
Fatal Serious6 Slight6 All accidents
Total reported accidents1 99 870 1,355 2,324
Number of Contributory Factors 5 230 1513 2193 3936
Average number of CFs per accident 1,5 2.3 1.7 1.6 1.7

1 Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene.

2 Includes only one count of a CF per accident.

3 Columns won't sum to 100 Percent as accidents can have more than one CF.

4 Accidents with more than one CF in a category are only counted once in the category total.

5 Includes all contributory factors e.g. if two cars are involved in the same accident and both are exceeding the speed limit this would count as 2 CFs.

6 Due to changes in the the way casualty severities are recorded, figures for serious/slight casualties in 2019 are not comparable with previous years.

Contributory factor reported in accident 2
Fatal Serious 5 Slight 5 All accidents
Number Per cent3 Number Per cent3 Number Per cent3 Number Per cent3
Road environment contributed 11 6 127 10 211 11 349 11
Vehicle defects 3 2 11 1 22 1 36 1
Injudicious action (D/R) 27 15 178 14 277 15 482 15
Driver/rider error/reaction 61 34 467 38 780 42 1,308 40
Impairment or distraction (D/R) 21 12 97 8 139 8 257 8
Behaviour or inexperience (D/R) 19 11 112 9 142 8 273 8
Vision affected 12 7 63 5 93 5 168 5
Pedestrian only 23 13 140 11 138 7 301 9
Special codes 1 1 42 3 46 2 89 3
Total reported accidents1 178 100% 1,237 100% 1,848 100% 3,263 100%
Number of Contributory Factors4 230 1,513 2,193 3,936
Average number of CFs per accident1,2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2

1 Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported

2 Accidents with more than one CF in a category are only counted once in the category total.

3 Columns won't sum to 100 per cent as accidents can have more than one CF

4 Includes all contributory factors eg if two cars are involved in the same accident and both are exceeding the speed limit this would count as 2 CFs.

5 Due to changes in the the way casualty severities are recorded, figures for serious/slight casualties in 2019 are not comparable with previous years.

Figure 11: Contributory factor type: Reported accidents by severity, 2020

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