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Causes of Accidents Analysed
Page 58
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THERE was a significant increase in I 1960 in the number of people injured hoarding or alighting from public service vehicles, and in p.s.v.s, in the Metropolitan Police area, compared with 1959. This was revealed in Road Accidents in 1960, the annual statistical analysis published by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolitan District.
There were a total of 1,658 hoarding or alighting casualties and 1,604 casualties of passengers in p.s.v.s. This was. respectively, an increase of 1.7 per cent. and 13.8 per cent. over 1959.
The report goes on to detail the numbers of vehicles involved in accidents in the area during 1960. There was a very small increase (0.2 per cent.) in accidents in which p.s.v.s were involved, the 1960 total being 4,554. So far as goods vehicles are concerned, the 1960 accident figures were: not over 1 tons, 7.147; over 1,1i tons but not over 3 tons, 5,647; over 3 tons, 1,881. These were, respectively, an increase of 11.7 per cent., a decrease of 8.2 per cent, and an increase of 3.3 per cent., compared with 1959.
Some of the major causes of accidents were whilst the vehicle was stationary, stopping, starting from the nearside, turning right and overtaking. Fifteen per cent, of the total accidents in which p.s.v.s were concerned occurred when the vehicle was starting from the nearside, 12.2 per cent. whilst stationary, 11.4 per cent. when it was stopping, 7.4 per cent. whilst overtaking, and 5.3 per cent, when turning right.
The biggest percentages for goods vehicles were when overtaking; the percentage reaching 19.2 in the case of goods vehicles over 3 tons. Turning right was the second main cause of accidents, reaching 13.5 per cent. in the 'case of goods vehicles between 1+ and 3 tons, loss of control of the vehicle resulting in 11.1 per cent, of the accidents involving goods vehicles over 3 tons; 7,9 per cent, for vehicles between U and 3 tons; 8.2 per cent, for vehicles under 11tons, and 4.4 per cent. in the case of p.s.v.s.
Another contributing factor in accidents was disobeying traffic signs or signals. The percentages in the four categories were. respectively. 9.5, 6.8. 7.6 and 4.1. Only 0.3 per cent. of the 4,554 p.s.v.s involved in accidents were reported to he defective. In the case of goods vehicles the percentage was 1.4 for those not over tons, 2.3 between I arid 3 tons, and 3.6 over 3 tons.