A new study from the University of Cambridge is looking for the most risky drivers and vehicles, based on a 10-year study. For this purpose, several large data bases covering the period from 2005 to 2015 were used. What is the risk for other road users when driving bicycles, cars and taxis, vans, buses, trucks and motorcycles. The cases are distributed according to the location of the accidents (urban and suburban areas), the sex of the driver and the type of roads (small or large road arteries).
Graph based on statistics from the University of Cambridge study.
As a total number, most accidents involve cars – almost two thirds. This, of course, is rather due to the fact that they are the most widely used vehicles. That is why the approach of the research has been changed – the accident is measured in relation to the vehicle, but for a billion kilometers traveled.
In this case, the trucks are the most risky. Every kilometer traveled by truck is associated with 5 times more casualties than 1 kilometer traveled by car. Motorcycles also in the risk group. Every kilometer is associated with 2.5 times more deaths than every kilometer driven by a car. The safest vehicle is the bicycle – 1 death for every 1 billion kilometers traveled.
An important observation is that in urban areas the main part of the victims on the road are pedestrians, which should force the authorities to take measures to protect them.
The data also show that men are significantly more risky drivers. The risk of accidents from cars and vans driven by men is almost twice as high as for women. The risk for male truck drivers is almost 4 times higher, and for male motorcyclists – 10 times higher.
But let’s not forget that this phenomenon is also due to the fact that most professional drivers are men.
Source: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/304671
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