The risk of accidents - some statistics
No-one wants to think that they will be involved in an accident, but being aware that an accident could happen to you and the statistics is important. Accidents happen to ordinary people, so anyone who thinks that 'it won't happen to me' is sadly mistaken.
So where do accidents tend to occur, what are the hotspots? Well the answer is that they tend to occur in and around towns. This could be because the roads tend to be busier and more congested here, and the more potential vehicles in a small space the more potential impacts there are, and pro rata there will be.
95% of accidents that involve pedestrians take place in and around towns, which is no great surprise, but it shows that pedestrians are particularly vulnerable in these areas, and it may be more of a surprise to you that 70% of accidents that involve an injury of some sort or another happen in and around towns, so they really are a big accident hotspot.
The only flip side of accidents in rural areas is that whilst there are much less of them, they can be much more severe when they happen. Cars flying around narrow country roads with no visiblity that hit each other clearly lead to a much more major accident than one car misjudging its stopping very slightly at the traffic lights and nudging the bumper of the car infront for instance in the town centre.
Motorways are, statistically speaking, the safest place to drive. Although we all know of horrific accidents and pile-ups on the motorway this is the safest statistically. The bad news is as just outlined, when accidents happen at those speeds they tend to be pretty bad.
Being aware of the fact that accidents happen is not supposed to make you paranoid or nervous of driving, but rather understanding where and when and WHY accidents happen can ensure you run through the appropriate 'what if' scenarios in your ahead, are always anticipating hazards and therefore give yourself the best chance to reacting to them safely and quickly enough to avoid accident for yourself and other road users who may be less diligent than yourself.
Related Articles...
What to do if you breakdown at a level crossing
Driving is potentially dangerous, but it is important not to worry about things that could happen when driving but at the same time you should know what to do in the unlikely event that something...
Medical rules and driving
There are a wide range of conditions that you can hold and still be a safe driver. However there are certain conditions that will may impact on your ability to be a safe driver and therefore could...
Car Driving Test Fees
This article looks at the costs, which were correct as of October 2009.
A standard car and motorcycle theory test costs £31.
In terms of the practical test, the price is a good deal...
Tips on passing your theory test
It is up to each individual who takes a theory test to do the necessary work and preparation to put themselves in the best position to pass the test.
Rather than attempting to 'cram' the night...
What causes accidents: overtaking
When you overtake a vehicle, there are often many things to consider.
First of all you need to ensure that it is, as far as you are aware, safe to do so. Therefore don't overtake close to...
Reading or hearing difficulties and the theory test
If you have some sort of reading difficulty, which might be but is not limited to dyslexia, then do not panic. You can get the questions read to you in English or Welsh (or indeed if you want the...
What causes accidents: junctions
An alarmingly high proportion of accidents happen in and around junctions.
This is because of the combination of busy roads, traffic that can be nose to tail and people crossing all sorts of...
What causes accidents: tailgating
Driving too close to a vehicle is dangerous for the very simple reason that you have too little time to react should something unexpected happen. And when you consider how many road journeys there...
Tips on driving with a heavy load
When you have passed your test and been driving for a while, you might find yourself driving with a heavy load.
For instance if you are going on holiday then you might have lots of stuff that...
The day of the theory test
On the day of the theory test you may well feel nervous. As with any test or examination of any kind this is of course natural as everybody is anxious to do their best and to pass the...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
