Last Updated on January 9, 2025
Road safety is a major cause of concern for road users across the UK and there are thousands of accidents reported each year, some of which unfortunately result in severe injuries or even fatalities. In this blog, we’ll look at some of the key causes and contributing factors to road accidents, focusing on data from 2013 to 2022 with an in-depth look into fatal and serious collisions. This blog will also analyse which areas in the UK, by police force area, recorded the highest number of casualty rates for the year ending June 2024.
What is Meant by a Road Accident?
Any incident on the road that involves a vehicle on a public road and results in a personal injury, death or damage to property, can be referred to as a ‘road accident’. According to the UK Government, road traffic accidents are defined under the Road Traffic Act 1988 as collisions involving at least one road vehicle that has required police reporting, or if there has been a personal injury or a fatality. The causes of road accidents can range from human error, environmental conditions or mechanical failures, plus many more which we will explore below.
The Most Common Causes of Road Accidents in the UK
Let’s take a look at what the most common causes of road accidents are in the UK with a focus on data from 2013-2022 where fatal and serious collisions have been reported.
When looking at this graph, we can see that the leading cause of road accidents over a 10-year period (2013-2022) was driver or rider error or reaction. This has decreased in the latter years of the graph however it remains a more prominent factor than all the other categories. Behaviour or inexperience has followed a similar pattern, whereby it has decreased year on year from 2013, then from 2020 onwards, it has noticeably increased with a gradual incline shown on the graph. This is likely due to COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.
The lesser categories such as ‘vehicle defects’ and ‘special codes’ did not come as a surprise being in a lesser quantity compared to some of the other categories. Similarly, it was not a surprise to see ‘driver or rider error or reaction’ and ‘behaviour or inexperience’ as the categories with the highest number of road accidents that led to serious injuries or fatalities.
Driver or Rider Error/Reaction
According to the above graph, the biggest cause of road accidents that lead to serious injury or a fatality, was driver or rider error or reaction. These are mistakes made on the road due to misjudgement, lack of awareness or poor manoeuvring. Examples of driver/rider error or reaction include sudden braking, poor turning at a junction or bend in the road or poor judgement of speed. The driver failing to look properly is also a significant example of driver/rider error or reaction. There are always going to be hazards on the road, however it is important for all road users to stay vigilant and to be aware of these hazards to help reduce the risk of road accidents and collisions. In 2022, there were 12,918 road accidents due to driver or rider error or reaction which made up 34.7% of road accidents that led to a fatality or collision.
Behaviour or Inexperience
The second biggest cause of road accidents that led to a serious injury or fatality in 2022, was driver behaviour or inexperience, with 5,862 road accidents due to this factor, making up 15.8% of road accidents. When describing a road accident as down to behaviour or inexperience, this refers to risky behaviour and a lack of familiarity with driving conditions and/or the vehicle. This can refer to aggressive driving, being unfamiliar with a vehicle or the driver being a learner and/or inexperienced driver so is therefore unfamiliar and less confident with driving.
Injudicious Action
When a road accident is described or reported as an ‘Injudicious Action’, this refers to a collision that has occurred due to a lack of judgement from one or more driver(s) that breaches traffic laws. Examples of this include speeding or disobeying road signs, signals or road markings. Driving more than the speed limit is arguably the most common example of road accidents caused by ‘Injudicious Action’ and this is something which is avoidable with regular speed limit-signs, speed cameras and other deterrents on the road. In the year ending 2022, there were 4,725 road accidents caused by an Injudicious Action that led to a serious injury or fatality which made up 12.7% of road accidents.
Impairment or Distraction
A road accident that is caused by impairment or distraction usually refers to factors facing a driver, or rider, that reduces their ability to focus or react effectively. Common examples of this are when the driver/rider is impaired by alcohol or drugs, fatigue or tiredness or being distracted by devices such as a mobile phone. Other examples include a driver’s vision being impaired, which could be as innocent as having poor eyesight, however this must be taken into consideration when getting behind a wheel, ensuring you have a full and clear view of the road ahead. In 2022, there were 4,299 road accidents caused by impairment or distraction, making up 11.6%.
Pedestrian Only (Casualty or Uninjured)
A less thought of, but still very significant contributing factor to road accidents is when the collision or accident is caused by a pedestrian. There were 3,259 of these type of road accidents in 2022, which is a 15% increase from 2,829 the year before, making up 8.8%. When a road accident is categorised as ‘Pedestrian Only’, this can refer to when a pedestrian fails to look properly when crossing the road, is impaired by alcohol or drugs, or failed to judge’s a vehicle’s path or speed.
Road Environment
When ‘Road Environment’ is the cause of the road accident, this will indicate that the cause or contributing factor of the accident was not because of road users, but because of the condition of the road. Examples of this include inadequate road markings or signage, a poor layout of the road or even the surface/condition of the road, which can often be affected by weather conditions. According to the GOV.UK data, there were 2,285 road environment-contributed accidents in 2022 that resulted in a serious injury or a fatality, which made up 6.1% of road accidents.
Vision Affected by External Factors
Another common cause of road accidents that lead to serious injuries or fatalities, is the vision of the driver being affected by external factors. Just like ‘Vehicle Defects’, this is quite a self-explanatory contributing factor however it is one that is responsible for a number of road collisions. In 2022, 2,207 road accidents that led to a serious injury or fatality were caused by the vision of the driving being affected by external factors. This made up just 5.7% of road accidents. Some of the external factors can include stationary or parked vehicle(s), the layout of a road, a vehicle blind spot or weather conditions such as rain, sleet, snow or fog, which can sometimes cause spray from other vehicles.
Special Codes
‘Special Codes’ is quite a unique category of causes of road accidents as it refers to unique scenarios where the cause involves unusual circumstances or events. For example, this could be an instance where a vehicle has been stolen, an emergency vehicle is on a call, or a vehicle is ongoingly involved in a crime. In 2022, there were 1,234 road accidents that fell into this category, only making up 3.3% of road accidents that led to a serious injury or fatality.
Vehicle Defects
‘Vehicle Defects’ is quite a self-explanatory cause of road accidents. These are vehicle-related issues that cause a collision, often when there is a mechanical fault or poor maintenance which leads to an incident. Vehicle Defects can include illegal or underinflated tyre depth, defective lights or indicators or steering or suspension issues. This is quite an avoidable cause of road accidents as it is something that is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to keep on top of to prevent incidents on the road from occurring which is why vehicle owners have to carry out MOT tests and other mandatory car tests. In 2022, there were 431 road accidents that led to a serious injury or fatality, caused by Vehicle Defects. This makes up only 1.2% of the overall amount of these kinds of road accidents.
Police Force Areas with the Most Road Casualties
The below table looks at the police areas within the UK that had the most road casualties in the year ending June 2024. It is no surprise that the more populated areas are the police force areas with the most road casualties with major cities across the UK mentioned below:
| Police Force | Road Casualties (Year Ending June 2024) | Location | Key Areas Covered |
| Metropolitan Police | 24,870 | London (South East) | Greater London |
| Police Scotland | 5,780 | Scotland (Various Regions) | Glasgow, Edinburgh |
| West Midlands | 5,570 | West Midlands (Central England) | Birmingham, Coventry |
| West Yorkshire | 5,330 | Yorkshire | Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield |
| Kent | 4,920 | South East England | Maidstone, Canterbury |
| Sussex | 4,540 | South East & South Coast | Brighton, Hastings |
| Hampshire | 4,120 | South Coast | Southampton, Portsmouth |
| Lancashire | 3,860 | North West England | Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn |
| Essex | 3,620 | South East England | Chelmsford, Colchester |
| Devon and Cornwall | 3,700 | South West England | Plymouth, Exeter |
From the above graph, we can see the number of road casualties by different police force areas across the UK. As expected, the areas with the biggest populations have the highest number of road casualties. For example, the Metropolitan Police Force, who operate in Greater London, had the highest number of road casualties, which ties in with this area being the most populated. The second highest-casualty police force area is Police Scotland, which is the Police Force covering the whole of Scotland, which has a population of 5 million people. In contrast, the area with the fewest road casualties was the City of London, which has a very small population of 8,600 and it also an area where not many people other than taxi drivers and service drivers will use the roads.
Conclusion
There are many different causes and contributing factors of road accidents that can lead to serious injuries and even fatalities. Whilst all are very problematic in their own way, there is are some causes that are more common, such as driver or rider error or reaction, or the behaviour of an in experienced driver. From 2013 to 2022, there was a decline in a lot of these factors causing road accidents however a lot of the more significant causes seemed to increase after 2020. What is noticeable in the second graph, is that the police force areas with high popular density, seem to have a higher amount of road accidents than the less populated areas. Areas like London, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Scotland, all of which are very populated areas, came on top for having the most casualties on the road in the year ending June 2024.
It’s vitally important that road users understand these trends and causes, alongside efforts to improve driver behaviour, road conditions, and vehicle safety, to improve road safety across the UK. Organisations such as Brake campaign for improved road safety with annual campaigns such as ‘road safety week’ which aim to raise awareness to the importance of driving safely.
Stay Protected While You Learn to Drive
Learning to drive can be an exciting but nerve-wracking experience. Whether you’re practising with a family member, friend, or guardian, it is a legal requirement to have learner driver insurance in order to protect both you as a learner driver and the vehicle owner. At Collingwood Insurance, we offer flexible learner driver insurance options including both short-term and annual policies, ranging from 28 days to 12 months respectively designed specifically for learners practising outside of driving lessons.
With our learner driver insurance, you can build your confidence on the road knowing you’re covered for those practice sessions. It’s easy to set up, protects the vehicle owner’s no-claims bonus, and gives you peace of mind while you focus on becoming a safer driver.
