Paul Darlington is a periodic and catastrophic injury lawyer at the Fletchers Group. With years of experience investigating road accidents, Mr Darlington highlights some of the contributing factors to road accidents he has seen over the years.
These include time of year, car colour, region of the UK, road conditions and lifestyle habits.
time of year
“Casualties across all categories of road users were generally higher in January and lower in April,” Mr Darlington said.
“The summer and autumn months tended to increase, with a slight decrease in November.”
“Particularly for cyclists, the highest casualty rates are from May to September.
Read more: Drivers can use shaving cream to keep cars from fogging up
“The reasons are complex and require consideration of various statistics and trends.
“Nevertheless, it is clear that cycling is more popular during the warmer, drier, sunny days of the year between spring and autumn, and therefore contributes to the increase in casualties during that time.”
“Fewer cyclists on the road during the months of October to March may be a contributing factor to the trends we’re seeing.
“However, comparing casualty rates with distance traveled shows a clear correlation with this period, suggesting that now is a more dangerous time for cyclists for a number of reasons.”
do not miss it
Major retailers cut petrol and diesel prices amid backlash [INSIGHT]
Petrol and diesel prices should drop by at least 10p [REVEAL]
Drivers urged to top up ‘vital’ car fluids ahead of winter [ADVICE]
car color
Mr Darlington said: “Black, silver, gray and blue cars are the ones with the most crash statistics.
“There are a number of theories as to why this is the case, including that these cars have a more subdued hue and are therefore less noticeable on the road.”
UK area
The expert explained: “There are many areas of the UK that tend to have more road accidents, including Hampshire, Surrey and Lancashire.
READ MORE: Drivers could face £25 ULEZ fee just for driving to work
“These include: the condition and nature of the road, vehicle problems, driver errors, driver behaviour, visibility, pedestrian inattention and (one of the major contributors) inattentive opening of car doors.”
living habit
Experts say: “Drinking and driving, driving while taking recreational drugs and using a mobile phone while driving are the leading causes of road accidents.
“It’s important to remove as many distractions as possible while driving, and not to get behind the wheel when any substance may affect your ability to drive safely.”
