LCVs: collision profile, and overview of dangerous behaviours
Velma Burns, Research Manager
Driving for Work Seminar Nov
22
Presentation Outline
Ireland’s strategic approach to road safety
Fatal and serious injury collisions involving LCVs 2017-2021
Overview of research in relation to main contributory factors to collisions
Fatalities long-term trend 3 1998-2021 Note: Data for 2018-2021 is provisional and subject to change. 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 8 2 0 0 9 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 4 2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 1 7 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 10 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 458 413 415 411 376 335 374 396 365 338 279 238 212 186 163 188 192 162 182 154 135 140 147 137 124 110 110 107 96 84 92 96 86 77 62 52 47 41 35 41 41 35 38 32 28 28 30 27 N u m b e r o f f a t a l i t i e s F a t a l i t
l l
1998-2002: - 20%1998-2002: - 20% 2004-2006: + 9%2004-2006: + 9% 2007-2012: - 55%2007-2012: - 55% 2013-2020: - 10%2013-2020: - 10%
i e s p e r m i
i o n p o p u l a t i o n
Ireland’s new Strategy
Vision Zero is a global, long-term movement to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries. Ireland has committed to achieving Vision Zero by 2050.
In line with EU, UN and WHO targets, Ireland has committed to reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
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Collisions involving a LGV where the driver’s trip purpose was workrelated 2017-2021
Introduction Vehicle types included
Light Goods Vehicles (goods vehicles with gross vehicle weight of less than 2 tonnes i.e. under 2,000kg): Van Goods, not over 2 tons, unladen
Heavy Goods Vehicles (goods vehicles with gross vehicle weight of greater than 2 tonnes i.e. over 2,000kg): Goods, over 2 tons, rigid Goods, rigid + trailer Goods, artic with semi trailer Artic, tractor only
The above are classifications of heavy goods vehicles and light goods vehicles as per the RSA’s road traffic collision data.
These classifications differ to those used by the EU where a truck with a gross vehicle weight of over 3.5 tonnes i.e. 3,500kg is classified as a heavy goods vehicle and a truck with less than that gross vehicle weight is a light goods vehicle.
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Details of data used in this analysis
Fatal and serious injury collision data for the years 2017-2021 was used to conduct this analysis.
This analysis focuses on fatal and serious injury collisions involving a LGV where the LGV driver’s trip purpose was work-related.
Work-related in this context means that the LGV driver’s trip purpose was either commuting to/from work or driving for work.
The LGV driver may have been fatally injured, seriously injured, minorly injured or not injured at all in the collision.
Data is current as of 12 May and is provisional and subject to change.
Between 2017 and 2021, there were 49 fatal collisions and 354 serious injury collisions involving a LGV where the driver’s trip purpose was work-related. This represents 7% and 6% of all fatal and serious injury collisions respectively.
*Work related includes commuting to/from work and driving for work
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
12am-4am 4am-8am 8am-12pm 12pm-4pm 4pm-8pm 8pm-12am 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 4 9 11 7 14 4 11 48 87 87 99 22 15 57 98 94 113 26 Fatal collisions Serious injury collisions Total
injury
76%
8am
Time of day of collisions 2017-2021
Of the 403 fatal and serious
collisions
occurred between
and 8pm.
week of collisions 2017-2021 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 8 6 6 10 7 7 5 69 58 76 66 51 20 14 77 64 82 76 58 27 19 Fatal collisions Serious injury collisions Total High proportions of collisions occurred on Monday (19%), Wednesday (20%) and Thursday (19%). Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Day of
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 2 4 7 1 3 4 3 4 5 5 7 4 25 28 15 18 37 18 34 28 38 36 38 39 27 32 22 19 40 22 37 32 43 41 45 43 Fatal collisions Serious injury collisions Total
numbers of fatal collisions occurred in March (14%,7) and November (14%, 7).
serious injury collisions
September-December
151).
high
37). Figures are provisional
Month of year of collisions 2017-2021
Highest
A large share of
occurred between
(43%,
A
number also occurred in May (10%,
and subject to change.
Urban/Rural breakdown of
2017-2021 Urban Rural 0 50 100 150 200 250 12 37 190 164 202 201 Fatal collisions Serious injury collisions Total Fatal collisions Serious injury collisions Total 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 24% 54% 50% 76% 46% 50% Urban Rural • An urban road has speed limit of <=60km/h while a rural road has a speed limit of >=80km/h. • Over three quarters of fatal collisions occurred on rural roads, while less than half of serious injury collisions occurred on rural roads. Figures are provisional and subject to change.
collisions
Understanding contributory factors to collisions
Alcohol and drugs
Driver Attitudes and Behaviour survey (2021)
9% of drivers surveyed drove after consuming alcohol in the past 12 months. This rises to 14% among those who drive for work.
Coronial data (2014-2018 fatalities) 37% of driver* fatalities with a toxicology result available had a positive toxicology for alcohol (BAC >20mg alcohol per 100ml blood). 10% had a positive toxicology for cocaine. 6% had a positive toxicology for cannabis.
*‘Driver fatalities’ include driver and motorcycle drivers. A positive toxicology for a drug does not imply impairment. Driver fatalities may have had a positive toxicology for more than one drug.
Speed
32% of drivers report exceeding 50km/h limits by >10km/h at least sometimes.
27% of drivers report exceeding 100km/h limits by >10km/h at least sometimes.
During 2014-2018, 24% of driver* fatalities, with a record of their actions available, were exceeding a safe speed.
Overall, 78% of drivers observed were driving above the 50km/h limit.
*‘Driver fatalities’ include driver and motorcycle drivers.
At weekends, 93% of observed drivers were driving above this limit.
27% of car drivers observed on rural roads, broke the speed limit. (Higher non compliance for 52% of car drivers observed on urban roads, broke the speed limit.
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DAB (2021) Coronial data (2014-2018) Free speed pilot (2021) Free speed (2018)
Free speed survey 2018
Speeding on Urban Roads (n=5,923)
Of the vehicles surveyed 89% (5,268) were cars, 6% (358) were rigid trucks, 3% (204) were articulated trucks, and 2% (93) were buses were on urban roads.
52% of all cars observed on all urban roads were speeding (57% in 2016)
Speeding on Rural Roads (n=10,668)
65% (6,972) of cars, 18% (1,958) were rigid trucks, 12% (1,249) were articulated trucks, and 5% (489) were buses surveyed were on rural roads.
58% of all rigid trucks observed on all urban roads were speeding (55% in 2016)
72% of all articulated trucks observed on all urban roads were speeding (55% in 2016)
68% of all single decker buses observed on all urban roads were speeding (38% in 2016)
27% of all cars observed on all rural roads were speeding (22% in 2016)
41% of all rigid trucks observed on all rural roads were speeding (36% in 2016)
44% of all articulated trucks observed on all rural roads were speeding (38% in 2016)
3% of all single decker buses observed on all rural roads were speeding (11% in 2016)
Mobile phone use
Drivers using a mobile phone are 4 times more likely to be involved in a collision (WHO, 2022).
Driver Attitudes and Behaviour survey (2021)
23% of drivers surveyed reported checking phone notifications while driving at least sometimes 19% of drivers reported reading messages/emails. 12% reported checking social media.
Please note, “driving for work” is not limited to LGVs i.e. could drive their own car for work purposes etc. Commuting is not included as “driving for work”.
Fatigue
Fatigue is estimated to play a role in up to 20% of road traffic collisions, and is associated with increased crash risk (European Road Safety Observatory, 2018).
24% of car drivers surveyed in Ireland (versus EU average of 20%) have driven when they were so sleepy they had trouble keeping their eyes open in the last 30 days (ESRA, 2018).
24% of drivers surveyed have ever fallen asleep or nodded off (even if only for a brief moment) when driving (DAB, 2021). This rises to 30% among those who drive for work.
A recent systematic review (Charlton et al., 2022) indicated that sleep disorders (sleep apnoea, hypersomnia, narcolepsy) moderately increase crash risk (approx. X 2.5), which is lowered with treatment.
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Conclusions
Work-related road safety is a critical component of the government Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030
Survey data indicates those who drive for work are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviours, and this must be addressed
LCVs were involved in 7% of fatal and 6% of serious injury collisions in 2017-2021. These are most likely to occur mid-week, from 8am – 8pm, and in winter months.
While fatal collisions are more likely to occur on higher speed rural roads, serious injury collisions are more prevalent on urban roads.
Employers, and road safety strategy stakeholders alike have a key role to play in building road safety awareness in the context of driving for work.
Thank you Velma Burns, Research Manager
