What is the biggest cause of road accidents in the UK?

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018
--
Bod

On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.
--
Bod

On 02/12/2019 20:25, Bod wrote:

On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.

You have no idea of the number of accidents in which cyclists are
involved (as cyclists).

"JNugent" wrote in message
...
On 02/12/2019 20:25, Bod wrote:

On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.

You have no idea of the number of accidents in which cyclists are involved
(as cyclists).

There are far more powered vehicles on the road than bicycles on the road
(apart from in large towns, maybe) and they go faster so can cause more
damage if things go wrong. So it is hardly surprising that they will be the
cause of more accidents.

But cyclists are not *always* blameless. Consider a cyclist who rides
through a red traffic light into the path of other traffic, or who pulls out
of a side road. Other traffic brakes hard to avoid hitting him; maybe one of
them skids and hits other vehicles/pedestrians, or is rear-ended. The
cyclist is not hit, and continues unaffected. Is that cyclist blameless? Now
consider the same situation where it was a car, not a cyclist, who went
through a red light or pulled out of a side road; is that car driver
blameless? In my mind, both a blameworthy to the same extent, but there is a
philosophy that accidents are always "not the cyclist's fault".

On 03/12/2019 09:28, NY wrote:

There are far more powered vehicles on the road than bicycles on the
road (apart from in large towns, maybe)

School maths can adjust things by proportion.

and they go faster so can cause more damage if things go wrong. So it
is hardly surprising that they will be the cause of more accidents.

That's true. Is it supposed to be a get out of jail free card?

The problem we have is of finger pointing at cyclists by drivers that
have over inflated ideas about their driving ability.

On 03/12/2019 09:28, NY wrote:
"JNugent" wrote in message
...
On 02/12/2019 20:25, Bod wrote:

On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss
of control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.

You have no idea of the number of accidents in which cyclists are
involved (as cyclists).

There are far more powered vehicles on the road than bicycles on the
road (apart from in large towns, maybe) and they go faster so can cause
more damage if things go wrong. So it is hardly surprising that they
will be the cause of more accidents.

The potential seriousness of the effects of an accident is one thing and
you are obviously correct in what you say about that.

But accidents befalling motor vehicles on the highway (and which cause
injury or damage( have to be reported to the police and so may be
accounted for in official statistics, to a nicety. Accidents befalling
cyclists do not have to be reported. There is thus no way of knowing how
many there are. I doubt that many cyclists who fall off their bikes - or
have other accidents short of injuring themselves so badly as to bneed
emergeny hospital treatment - report that to the police for official
purposes.

But cyclists are not *always* blameless. Consider a cyclist who rides
through a red traffic light into the path of other traffic, or who pulls
out of a side road. Other traffic brakes hard to avoid hitting him;
maybe one of them skids and hits other vehicles/pedestrians, or is
rear-ended. The cyclist is not hit, and continues unaffected. Is that
cyclist blameless? Now consider the same situation where it was a car,
not a cyclist, who went through a red light or pulled out of a side
road; is that car driver blameless? In my mind, both a blameworthy to
the same extent, but there is a philosophy that accidents are always
"not the cyclist's fault".

Quite so.

On 03/12/2019 09:25, Bod wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.

Bicyclists are also a fraction of the numbers of car drivers.
Sadly.

On 03/12/2019 09:33, Peter Keller wrote:
On 03/12/2019 09:25, Bod wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:19, JNugent wrote:
On 02/12/2019 20:15, Bod wrote:

The most common cause of accidents is to driver error. Over 100,000
(108,479) crashes occured in the UK due to cars suddenly braking,
drivers failing to look properly, poor car maneuvering and/or loss of
control.2 Jul 2018

How interesting.

What does it have to do with cycling?

Cyclists cause a fraction of that amount of accidents.

Bicyclists are also a fraction of the numbers of car drivers.
Sadly.


In terms of casualties per billion miles travelled, at 5,604, they are
only second to motorcyclists at 6,043. Other figures are pedestrians
1,801, cars 238, buses 198, vans 62 and LGVs 61. (2017 figures)

--
Colin Bignell

On 03/12/2019 09:59, nightjar wrote:

In terms of casualties per billion miles travelled, at 5,604, they are
only second to motorcyclists at 6,043. Other figures are pedestrians
1,801, cars 238, buses 198, vans 62 and LGVs 61. (2017 figures)

That would be deaths. In terms of serious injuries they rank a slightly
higher mileage than pedestrians.

However, the main argument (on u.r.c) is about certain drivers claiming
that cyclists are evil pedestrian killers. The main culprit x-posted this.