Sky

[PetrolTed]

Sky News have been bleating on today in one of their reports about 33% of accidents being caused by speed.

I did of course set them right ([e-mail]) but it also begs the question what are the majority of accidents caused by...?

[mcecm]

Shit driving. Thankfully I've never been in or witnessed an accident and often wonder how they happen. I've heard of countless accidents on the roads where i live (Mainly on A82) and travel the road frequently. I just can't understand how two cars with their "own half" of the road can actually hit each other. Heard of some where tourists use wrong side etc but I reckon most of the problems are people driving too fast..... for their ability or the conditions. Speed itself doesnt kill but speed and one other factor does. That factor...shit driving.

Craig

>> Edited by mcecm on Wednesday 19th June 16:00

[JSG]

quote:what are the majority of accidents caused by...?

Numpties and Speed Cameras

[PetrolTed]

Well I suppose if I look at my first few years of driving, the 2 accidents I had was down to my crap observation. i.e. shit driving.

Can't see it catching on with the Govt somehow though... "SHIT DRIVING KILLS"

[Terminator]

quote:
Well I suppose if I look at my first few years of driving, the 2 accidents I had was down to my crap observation. i.e. shit driving.

Hope you weren't pie-eyed at the time, Ted.

[mondeoman]

New Government slogan for the message boards


Dont Think! Drive!

[marki]

quote:
Can't see it catching on with the Govt somehow though... "SHIT DRIVING KILLS"

Thats the Slogan we have all been waiting for , your right Ted bad observation has got to be a prime contributor , but i get the feeling that it is becoming Bloody mindedness , you know the sort of thing , "I will not let you in " or just small mindedness whatever you want to call it .

[cpn]

quote: the question what are the majority of accidents caused by...?

Vehicles hitting things?

[Neil Menzies]

www.ringroad.fsnet.co.uk/wmrar99-00.htm

Survey (1999) of accident causes West Midlands.
Causes are split between Pedestrian and non-pedestrian accidents.

Failure to obey a traffic sign or signal 21.84%
Inattentive 18.45%
Turning right without due care 11.69%
Other error/negligence 11.26%
...
Excessive speed for conditions 2.29%

In the pedestrian accidents, the primary fault lies with pedestrians is about 85%, with excessive speed causing only 0.46% of accidents.

The 2000 figures are even better:

Failure to obey a traffic sign or signal 26.48%
Inattentive 21.73%
Turning right without due care 7.86%
Other error/negligence 11.22%
...
Excessive speed for conditions 1.79%

Pedestrian figures were: pedestrians 85%; excess speed 0.11%.

Speed causes a third of all accidents? Bollox.

>> Edited by Neil Menzies on Wednesday 19th June 16:44

[marki]

quote:

Failure to obey a traffic sign or signal 21.84%
Inattentive 18.45%
Turning right without due care 11.69%
Other error/negligence 11.26%
...
Excessive speed for conditions 2.29%

So basicaly not paying attention , or bad observation

[mattc]

I got the following reply from Northants Police on this issue a few weeks ago:

quote:
The TRL report A New System for Recording Contributory Factors in Road
Accident is about contributory factors in accidents in the context of a
new
accident data recording system being brought into Stats 19. Speed as a
contributory factor is shown in the report to occur in about 7% of
accidents, whilst we normally quote about one third. This apparent
disparity
can be explained. Although speed was not always shown as a factor in
the
pilot schemes, which this report is about, speed is clearly a factor
when
the causes are shown as any of the following: sudden braking,
careless/reckless driving, following too close, loss of controil etc.
Adding
up these fact the report confirms the "one third" figure.
I hope this clarifies our stance. Thank you for your interest.
Phil Davies
Safety Camera [sic] Partnership Manager.

[plotloss]

quote:
I got the following reply from Northants Police on this issue a few weeks ago:

quote:
The TRL report A New System for Recording Contributory Factors in Road
Accident is about contributory factors in accidents in the context of a
new
accident data recording system being brought into Stats 19. Speed as a
contributory factor is shown in the report to occur in about 7% of
accidents, whilst we normally quote about one third. This apparent
disparity
can be explained. Although speed was not always shown as a factor in
the
pilot schemes, which this report is about, speed is clearly a factor
when
the causes are shown as any of the following: sudden braking,
careless/reckless driving, following too close, loss of controil etc.
Adding
up these fact the report confirms the "one third" figure.
I hope this clarifies our stance. Thank you for your interest.
Phil Davies
Safety Camera [sic] Partnership Manager.

So basically, if its easier for us (the stats office) we'll file everything under 'Speed'.

Doesnt that sort of make a mockery of statistics?

Its high time we got an office of national statistics in this country then Tone and his crones couldnt put a spin on everything for their own gain.

Matt.

[Neil Menzies]

www.abd.org.uk/one_third.htm

Debunking the 'one third' lie.

[Neil Menzies]

One more point on the W Mids figures (and then I'll shut up )

The figures for fatalities, rather than just accidents, do show speed as being more significant:

1999 Non-pedestrians 9.30%
2000 Non-pedestrians 15.79%
1999 Pedestrians 2.94%
2000 Pedestrians 0%

The pedestrian figures are not statistically significant since they represent 1 and 0 fatalities respectively.

[hertsbiker]

maybe this'll make you laugh...

In 60,000 miles of thrashing my bikes, I have had 4 incidents.

1) my fault, due to inexperience, and carb iceing. Gave it loads of gas when it bogged down, and it took off like a scalded cat. 4500 miles.

2) At 7000 miles, gave it the big-un leaving a wet roundabout, lost the back. Idiot !!!!

Seen a pattern here? inexperience caught me both times. However;-

3) See unmarked Gatso. Slam brakes on. Overload front tyre on wet road. Graceful slide up road. 30,000 miles.

4) See 4 coppers on foot, slam brakes on. Ooops, cold tyres. Highside. Ouch. 33,000 miles.


Ok, 2 errors on my part with gas, and 2 directly caused by spotting the Fuzz. I attribute the first errors down to being a novice, and being shite. The second 2 were CAUSED by the Police.

Well, makes me chuckle to look back on it.


c.

[JohnL]

I had a number of accidents in my youth, which I detailed on aonther thread so no need to embarrass myself again .

However, out of six, five were caused fundamentally by my shit driving, and one by the other guy's shit driving.

OK, one of my five was shit driving involving going to fast for the conditions (but still below speed limit!), but for all that you can say it's speed that bent metal, it was still fundamentally down to driver incompetence in choosing to go that fast.

Even when speed is a significant factor, it's still down to shit driving - poor judgement/training/experience/reactions/whatever.

PS the last was 10 years ago!

[madcop]

I have dealt with hundreds of inattentions,
a few Deliberates and very few 'Accidents'

[pjg]

Isn't speed the cause of ALL accidents?

i.e. if the car wasn't moving, there couldn't be an accident....

[JMGS4]

quote:
Isn't speed the cause of ALL accidents?
i.e. if the car wasn't moving, there couldn't be an accident....

You're obviously an undercover statisticians working for the labour party!!!!!!

[nubbin]

Fascinating and illuminating statistics - now, will you all fax your MP with these results - www.faxyourmp.com - we need to fight back, and that's a good way of doing it. The more MP's get faxes, the better. I've sent mine, but we need to get a few opposition MP's into the transport debate - it's a weak and vulnerable area for HMG, and we need to use the Tories to exploit it. Sadly, Tory MP's are a little thin on the ground in the People's Republic of South Yorkshire!!