We constantly examine the importance of being covered for everyday commuting and motoring, and the results really can hit home. Just how close however, surprised even us!
You’re most likely to have a collision less than 5km from home. It’s up for debate whether this is because people spend most of their time driving within that 5km radius or whether we tend to switch off when we feel comfortable on the roads. Whatever propels the statistics, paying attention even when you feel confident you know the road backwards, could save you from a nasty bump.
Complacency is also a common problem when leaving the house, with 60 per cent of drivers saying they have had a near miss while reversing out of their driveway. In fact, this trend for driveway crashes has been instrumental in pushing manufacturers towards introducing reversing cameras as standard in new cars.
The home isn’t the only place where damage occurs at low speeds. One in seven collisions beyond the home happens in car parks, schools, universities and workplaces. Maybe there’s a trend with people not being able to maneuver properly?
In terms of accidents occurring on specific days, there’s a greater chance of being involved in a car accident on Friday than any other day of the week. However, the safest day for motoring is Sunday – so if you’re going to go for a nice family drive, do it that day.
In terms of the working week, Monday is the day of least collisions with 21 per cent fewer crashes than Friday.
Around seven children are killed each year and 60 are seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle at home. There have been suggestions that home designs and trends towards unfenced driveways allow children to move suddenly into the path of vehicles without the driver noticing.
With motoring as an integral part of our daily lives, even the safest drivers can further insulate themselves against the difficulties of the road. This becomes especially worthwhile when the concerns creep into our own driveways.
For more road safety tips and advice, including the results from our Car Reversing Visibility tests, visit SGIO Safety.
Sources:
http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2012/files/is_043a.pdf
http://www.nrma.com.au/more-eyes-nsw-driveways
http://www.mynrma.com.au/about/media/new-speed-camera-strategy-boosts-road-safety-nrma.htm
http://www.nrma.com.au/drivers-ending-working-week-bang
http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/roadsafety/safe_road_users/driveway_safety
