Development and Property Services
ROAD SAFETY PLAN
Statistics(continued)
Casualty Causations
The table below shows the causes of casualties during 1997 (as indicated
in the police accident records) for different age ranges.
|
Causation
|
Age Groups
|
|
|
0-15 |
16-25 |
25-64 |
65+ |
Total |
| Total Failed to maintain a safe distance |
6 |
17 |
43 |
9 |
75 |
| Crossing Carelessly |
27 |
5 |
9 |
6 |
47 |
| Lost control on right hand bend |
2 |
15 |
6 |
2 |
25 |
| Making right turn when unsafe |
3 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
16 |
| Lost control on left hand bend |
5 |
12 |
23 |
3 |
43 |
| Lost control - other manoeuvre |
5 |
15 |
21 |
0 |
41 |
| Unknown |
8 |
8 |
24 |
1 |
41 |
| Crossing while masked by stationary vehicle |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
| Emerging carelessly |
5 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
13 |
| Wet weather conditions |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| Overtaking improperly |
1 |
6 |
18 |
3 |
28 |
| Disobeying traffic sign |
2 |
7 |
12 |
2 |
23 |
| Icy road surface |
0 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
| Driver under the influence of drink/drugs |
0 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
12 |
| Misjudging clearance/distance |
6 |
2 |
9 |
4 |
21 |
| Failing to give precedence to pedestrian |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Excessive speed |
1 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
10 |
| Making left turn when unsafe to do so |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Stolen vehicle |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| Driver inexperience |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Changing lane without ascertaining road is clear |
0 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
9 |
| Swerving to avoid hazard in roadway |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
| Pedestrian under the influence of drink/drugs |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Turning in roadway |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
| Pedal cyclist leaving footways without warning |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| Disobeying automatic traffic signal |
0 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
| Vehicle defect |
5 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
12 |
| Dazzled |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Cutting into moving traffic from a stationary position |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
| Reversing negligently |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
| Passenger negligence |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Greasy road surface |
0 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
| Disobeying traffic signal |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Insecure load |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Insecure/defective trailer |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Reduced visibility |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Parked vehicle causing obstruction |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Foreign driver |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Totals
|
84 |
133 |
238 |
40 |
495 |
There were 84 child (0-15) casualties in 1997, representing almost one
fifth of the total number of casualties during the year. The principal
causation was crossing carelessly which accounted for 27 casualties. Crossing
while masked by a stationary vehicle accounted for a further five casualties.
Young adults in the 16-24 age group accounted for over a quarter of the
road casualties during the year despite making up little more than a tenth
of the population in East Ayrshire. The principal causation's were loss
of vehicle control (42 casualties) and failure to maintain a safe distance
(17 casualties).
Adults in the 25-64 age group account for just over a half of the population
and slightly less than a half of the casualties. The principal causation's
were loss of control (50 casualties) and failure to maintain a safe distance
(43 casualties).
Road users over the age of 64 accounted for less than one-tenth of all
casualties in 1997. The principal Causations were failure to maintain
a safe distance and crossing carelessly which resulted in 9 and 6 casualties
respectively.
Table 4 shows the primary Causations that are likely to be associated
with excessive speed. These causes accounted for 39% of all road casualties
in the last three years.
| Table 4 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
| Excessive speed (in excess of speed limit |
14 |
6 |
6 |
| Excessive speed (w.r.t.prevailing conditions) |
12 |
5 |
4 |
| Lost control - on right hand bend |
25 |
36 |
25 |
| Lost control - on left hand bend |
30 |
27 |
43 |
| Lost control - other manoeuvre |
25 |
31 |
41 |
| Failed to maintain safe distance |
65 |
52 |
75 |
| Overtaking improperly |
22 |
18 |
28 |
|
Total
|
193 |
175 |
222 |
Accident Costs
The government publishes annual estimates of the costs of road casualties.
The costs vary according to the severity of the injuries sustained, and
in East Ayrshire, in 1997, exceeded £20 million
| Casualty Severity |
Cost (1)
|
1997 Casualties |
1997 Cost |
| Fatal |
£847,580 |
7
|
£5,933,060
|
| Serious |
£96,620 |
121 |
£11,691,020
|
| Slight |
£7,480 |
367 |
£2,745,160 |
| 1997 East Ayrshire total
casualty cost |
£20,369,240
|
(1) costs based on 1996 figures - most up to date available.
Road Safety Issues
The analysis of accident data for East Ayrshire has identified a number
of issues such as high risk road user groups, accident distributions,
and accident Causations which will provide a focus for current and future
remedial programmes. The issues identified are that:
- car users account for more than two thirds of all injuries;
- young drivers and riders of motor vehicles and their passengers are
more
likely to be injured than other motorists;
- speed accounts for more than one third of all casualties;
- pedestrians account for one eighth of all injuries;
- almost a half of pedestrian accidents result in death or serious injury;
- children of school age are more likely to be hurt crossing the road
than
adults;
- accident clusters tend to occur on busy roads in built-up areas;
- a quarter of all casualties occur in Kilmarnock;
- a fifth of casualties occur on the A77 and A76 trunk roads;
- the cost of road traffic accidents in East Ayrshire in 1997 was over
£20
million.
The following section details the engineering, educational, enforcement
and encouragement activities which are carried out by various agencies.
Although these are activities aimed at reducing accidents of all types,
the above issues will be prioritised within these programmes. In addition,
the Action Plan has new initiatives developed in response to these identified
problems.
Foreword
Executive summary
Introduction
Road casualty statistics
|
|
|
|
|
| 
RSS