Dangerous Driving

Accident Statistics...

Dangerous Driving

We have all seen drivers who tailgate or use handheld phones while at the wheel, these activities are now the most dangerous threat on the road, that's according to a new survey from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, carried out by the BMRB on almost 700 motorists.

In the survey more than half of all drivers regard each of these two activities as "highly dangerous".

Drivers who overtake on busy roads when traffic is approaching, or in the vicinity of hazards such as blind brows, cross roads or blind bends are regarded as the next most dangerous threat. Interestingly the survey also shows that less men (48%) than women (60%), regard drivers who tailgate as highly dangerous. Also, phoning whilst driving is seen as highly dangerous by more women than men, 45% of men as opposed to 60% of women.

Young Drivers

In contrast, young drivers (aged 17 to 29) are significantly less likely to regard other motorists' activities as dangerous. In fact only 30 per cent of young drivers regard "phoning and driving" as a highly dangerous activity, compared with more than 52% for all other age groups. Similarly, only 40 % of young drivers considered tailgating to be highly dangerous, that's compared with 55 per cent of drivers in other age groups.

Steve Norris, from the IAM Council and former transport and road safety minister said:

"Many of Britain's motorists regard other drivers as lacking basic road safety skills. Too many road users slip into bad habits, either through ignorance, impatience or, even worse, aggression.

Tailgating and phoning while driving are activities which are a clear threat to the safety of others. No one has the right to drive badly but the results of bad driving fill our hospitals every day. Motorists should leave at least a two second gap behind the vehicle in front, and more in bad weather. And using handheld mobile phones at the wheel has the potential to kill."

Driving to Work

It is estimated that up to one third of all road traffic accidents in the UK involve someone who is driving to work. This equates to around 1,000 deaths on the roads in the UK each year. That means that the drive to work is now statistically the most risky work related activity.