New research conducted by insurance experts at Howden Insurance has unveiled the leading causes of road collisions in the UK over the past decade. Analyzing accident data from the Office for National Statistics, the study highlighted that driver error is the primary cause of road accidents, accounting for an average of 67.26% of collisions each year.
When examining regional data, London emerged with the highest percentage of driver error collisions, averaging at 74.24%. Following closely behind, the second most common cause of collisions was drivers failing to look correctly, contributing to 37.81% of all incidents nationally and rising to 46.78% in London.
Behavior or lack of experience ranked third on the list, with 23.61% of collisions citing this as a cause. The West Midlands stood out as the region with the highest proportion of collisions attributable to this factor, averaging at 29.26% over the past decade.
Poor judgment or injudicious action claimed the fourth spot, with an average of 21.86% of collisions citing this as a cause nationwide, and peaking at 28.01% in the West Midlands. Additionally, failing to correctly assess another person’s speed or path accounted for 20.06% of collisions, with the highest percentage (24.16%) again observed in the West Midlands.
| Rank | Cause | Percentage of all collisions (2013 – 2022 average) |
| 1 | Driver/Rider error or reaction | 67.26% |
| 2 | Driver/Rider failed to look properly | 37.81% |
| 3 | Behaviour or inexperience | 23.61% |
| 4 | Injudicious action | 21.86% |
| 5 | Driver/Rider failed to judge other person’s path or speed | 20.06% |
| 6 | Driver/Rider careless, reckless or in a hurry | 16.38% |
| 7 | Impairment or distraction | 15.22% |
| 8 | Road environment contributed | 12.89% |
| 9 | Poor turn or manoeuvre | 12.74% |
| 10 | Loss of control | 12.50% |
A spokesperson from Howden Insurance commented on the findings, emphasizing that human error remains a significant factor in road accidents. The spokesperson highlighted the importance of having a robust insurance plan to mitigate risks posed by other road users.