The relative unimportance that speeding plays in road accidents

Unexpected findings emerged, not least the relative unimportance that
speeding plays in road accidents that kill six people each day in the
UK, leave 68 others seriously hurt and 535 with less serious injuries.

"It has been an eye-opener," says project manager Neil Greig, of the
IAM. "Not just in terms of what causes an accident but in terms of
dispelling some of the popular myths. For instance, if you look at
Government campaigns they seem to say that speed is the number one
problem. But illegal speeding – when drivers exceed the posted limit –
accounts for only 13.9 per cent of fatal accidents. A bigger cause [15.9
per cent] is going too fast for the conditions – entering a bend too
quickly, for instance – when you might well be under the actual speed
limit."

But the biggest cause of road accidents in the UK today? The statistics
are quite clear on this and it's "driver error or reaction". It's listed
by police as a factor in more than 65 per cent of fatal crashes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...ts-happen.html