Casual Factors in Road and Traffic Related Injuries
Casual Factors in Road and Traffic Related Injuries
Driving is an important task and responsibility that teenagers take on when they receive their learners license, mainly at the age of 16. Each year, a great number of Australians lose their lives or are badly injured in road accidents. Sadly, young people are over-represented in road trauma statistics. Despite making up only 15% of drivers, young drivers represent around 36% of annual road fatalities. A 17 year old driver with a P1 license is four times more likely to be in a fatal crash than a driver over 26 years. Strict caution is to be taken from the second you step into a vehicle and get out, as there are countless amounts of factors that can create a dangerous and hazardous atmosphere and put the safety of the drivers and the passengers they are carrying in jeopardy. The consequences of this can result in accidents, fines and injuries, sometimes even fatality to both yourself and the passengers you are carrying. The major casual factors in road and traffic related injuries can be classified in 3 different parts, these being human, vehicle and road environment factors.
HUMAN FACTORS
Human factors are the first and most influential factors to cause road and traffic related injuries. 95% of road accidents are caused by human error. They refer to the things people do or do not do. These can include speeding; drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs, amount of passengers being carried and if you or the passengers are wearing a seatbelt. 90-95% of accidents are caused by these human factors. The more specific categories are organized into speed, alcohol and fatigue.
Speeding
Speeding has a major influence on the risk of being involved in a crash and on the severity of it. It gives you less time to react to the dangers that might be beyond your control, such as a problem with the road, another driver or a distraction and it will take you longer to stop. Yet it still remains the
Driving is an important task and responsibility that teenagers take on when they receive their learners license, mainly at the age of 16. Each year, a great number of Australians lose their lives or are badly injured in road accidents. Sadly, young people are over-represented in road trauma statistics. Despite making up only 15% of drivers, young drivers represent around 36% of annual road fatalities. A 17 year old driver with a P1 license is four times more likely to be in a fatal crash than a driver over 26 years. Strict caution is to be taken from the second you step into a vehicle and get out, as there are countless amounts of factors that can create a dangerous and hazardous atmosphere and put the safety of the drivers and the passengers they are carrying in jeopardy. The consequences of this can result in accidents, fines and injuries, sometimes even fatality to both yourself and the passengers you are carrying. The major casual factors in road and traffic related injuries can be classified in 3 different parts, these being human, vehicle and road environment factors.
HUMAN FACTORS
Human factors are the first and most influential factors to cause road and traffic related injuries. 95% of road accidents are caused by human error. They refer to the things people do or do not do. These can include speeding; drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs, amount of passengers being carried and if you or the passengers are wearing a seatbelt. 90-95% of accidents are caused by these human factors. The more specific categories are organized into speed, alcohol and fatigue.
Speeding
Speeding has a major influence on the risk of being involved in a crash and on the severity of it. It gives you less time to react to the dangers that might be beyond your control, such as a problem with the road, another driver or a distraction and it will take you longer to stop. Yet it still remains the