Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Are Road Deaths Stats available by road name?

Options
2»

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,419 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    My point is concerning the CAUSE of the accident, not what caused the fatality. A head-on collision will be a major cause of the crash, no seat belt could be cause of the fatality instead of serious injury.

    Mechanical failures are unlikely to be much of a cause of fatality if all other matters are OK - every one has a seat belt, car is in good shape otherwise, and driver is skilled. For an example, a blown tyre should not cause a serious accident, but if the car is travelling at a dangerous speed, driven by an inexperienced driver, then what would you expect? I had a back wheel fly off entirely and no harm was done.

    The first responder will be able to give a good idea of what went on before the evidence is trampled underfoot. I saw photos of a serious fatal accident and was able to piece together a number of contributors just from the photos - no road markings, poor surface, and one vehicle ran off the road to avoid fast car coming toward them overtaking a slower vehicle, the the vehicle off the road hit a large, mainly hidden, boulder in the verge that flipped it over causing the fatalities. It was quite clear from the photos.

    I am not suggesting that legal causes be determined, just that such evidence, added up over many accidents, would give a valuable set of data.


  • Options
    #33
    Iwannahurl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,156 ✭✭✭Iwannahurl


    The existence and effects of many risk factors can be explained in terms of a few highly general mechanisms, all of which are closely related to the fact that human behaviour tends not to be perfectly rational, but is shaped by factors that limit the exercise of perfect rationality. Imperfect rationality implies imperfect knowledge of, and imperfect control of traffic hazards. Imperfect control of hazards is not primarily a matter of conscious risk taking, but of the presence of complexity that goes beyond human cognitive capacity.

    Learning how to identify and control traffic hazards is likely to be a life-long process. The variety of circumstances and situations that can lead to accidents is endless. It is beyond human imagination to think of more than just a few of the things that can go wrong. In this sense, managing traffic hazards is a very complex task, since most hazards will be unknown and, for all practical purposes, impossible to predict. Man is a notoriously poor intuitive statistician. Thus, errors are bound to be made in a system that is as complex as modern road traffic.

    Source: Rune Elvik, Laws of accident causation, 2006


  • Options
    #34
    Bray Head
    Registered Users Posts: 892 ✭✭✭Bray Head


    Iwannahurl wrote: »
    The evidence for a causal relationship between speed, crash and crash severity is extensive, well-established an incontrovertible. In all situations higher speed increases the risk of a fatal outcome, even if the proximal cause of the crash is not speed per se. It couldn't be any other way: the laws of physics, and the vulnerability of the human body, are inescapable realities. That doesn't mean that in every individual case speed can be identified with certainty as the main cause or as an important contributory factor.

    I don't think that is in doubt. The prime message of road safety is (and should remain) "slow down".

    But there are other causal factors that may or may not contribute to better road safety. It's fine to extrapolate from other countries' experiences. But there are specifically Irish factors (such as a largely empty, winding, rural road network) that may play a part and may be relevant to policy formation. It would be nice to know.

    The data void surrounding road fatalities reminds me a bit of the family law situation until very recently. An issue of huge public importance with impacts on thousands of lives but one where very little information on very basic things is available.


  • Options
    #35
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,290 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Iwannahurl wrote: »
    According to the RSA 1% of fatal crashes are caused by mechanical defects, which leads to suspicions that annual testing is primarily motivated by revenue-raising considerations rather than by compelling concerns about road safety.
    There is a difference between a mechanical defect causing a collision and affecting the outcome of a collision. Rusted vehicle framing or panelling is not going to help the outcome of a collision. Fortunately, rust buckets are relatively rare these days, but were common 15 years ago.

    Additionally, the NCT addresses other factors like vehicle licensing and pollution reduction.


  • Options
    #36
    BaronVon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭BaronVon


    Not quite road death stats by name, but some good info can be gleaned from it.....

    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/crash-report


  • Advertisement
Advertisement