Mobile Phone Use Still a Risk for Road Users
It was alarming to hear that a significant number of drivers are still putting themselves and other road users at risk by continuing to use handheld mobile phones behind the wheel. In September last year, research by motoring organisation RAC revealed that the illegal use of handheld mobile phones had reached ‘epidemic’ proportions. Shortly afterwards, the UK Government introduced […]
Driver Error a Common Cause of Accidents
Human factors continue to significantly outweigh other reasons for crashes on British roads, according to new analysis by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The road safety group has renewed its call for drivers to look on improving driving skills as part of their lifelong personal development. Figures from the Department of Transport apparently show that […]
Child Pedestrians are at Increased Risk on Scotland’s Roads
Child pedestrians are two and a half times more likely than adults to be injured in road accidents, according to new figures from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH). Although accident rates are falling, more child and adult pedestrians are injured in road traffic accidents in deprived areas compared with more affluent areas. Over the […]
Calls for More Action to Save Young Drivers’ Lives
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has called on the newly-elected Government to commit to the safety of young drivers. The safety charity is lobbying ministers to agree to a Green Paper on young drivers in a bid to save the hundreds of 17-24 year olds who are killed or seriously injured on the […]
Google’s Futuristic “Driverless Cars” Involved in 11 Crashes Since 2009
Google’s self-driving cars have been involved in at least eleven road accidents since they were introduced in 2009, however, according to the technology giants, the accidents have been a result of other drivers crashing into the smart cars. According to Google, the vast majority of incidents have occurred when drivers hit the back of the smart cars […]
Too Many Fleet Vehicles Involved in Accidents
As many as 86% of company car fleets have experienced an accident in the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The report was commissioned in autumn 2014, and produced a number of interesting findings, including: According to Government figures, between 2008 and 2013 3,493 people were killed […]
Increase in Road Casualties
Road safety organisations have expressed disappointment at the latest road traffic casualty figures published by the Department of Transport, which show that deaths and serious injuries on UK roads increased by 4% in the year ending September 2014, with deaths up by 1%. In response to the figures, road safety charity Brake has called on all political parties to […]
Drivers Risk Lives to Correct Sat-Nav Mistakes
As many as one in seven (15%) drivers who use a sat-nav admit making illegal or risky manoeuvres to correct mistakes when following sat-nav instructions, putting themselves and other road users at risk of a devastating crash. The survey by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line also found that: Through its drive smart campaign, Brake is calling […]
Road Traffic Accidents: Have Yourself a Cautious Little Christmas
Whilst Santa’s sleigh has the luxury of open sky and a set of trusty reindeer (including one red nosed fellow) to make sure he stays on course, for many of us, Christmas presents a real danger. Thousands take to the icy roads to navigate their way to social events, nativity plays whilst running the risk of a […]
Report Reveals Fall in Road Casualty Figures
Recent figures from the Department for Transport have revealed a fall of 2% in the number of road deaths in 2013, compared to 2012. Figures are apparently now at their lowest level since national records began in 1926. According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the figures show that in 2013: “We welcome the overall decrease in road […]
