This assignment is an in depth discussion about the factors that cause road traffic collisions and injury, the interrelationship between the factors that cause road traffic collisions and injuries and the significance of the different factors that cause traffic collision and injury.
Pearson level 3 national diploma in forensic and criminal investigations
Unit 11 assignment A
P1: Explain the factors that cause road traffic collisions and injury.
Human factors in causing traffic collisions and injuries -
Behaviour and inexperience:
Driver error (this is usually defined as when a driver or motorist is showing poor
driving behaviour.)
An example of this could include someone running red lights, driving in the middle
of the road, and driving recklessly.
Lack of experience/training (this could be where a learner or new driver might not
be aware of the hazards of the road.)
An example of this could be the driver not understanding certain road signs or
driving on roads that they are not familiar on.
Speeding (this is when a drive goes above the recommended speed limit for
certain areas.)
An example of this could be when a driver goes 60mph in a 30mph zone or when
a driver goes too fast on a country road that do not have visible speed limit signs.
Injudicious justice (this is where drivers or motorists do not follow the rules of the
road that are put into place to keep them and pedestrians safe.)
An example of this could be where cyclists move from the pavement onto the
road or when drivers ignore double white lines.
Stress and driver rage (this could be described as explosive rage or extreme
mental strain caused by inconveniences or incidents occurring while driving.)
An example of this could be when a someone pulls out on a driver, without giving
them any indication of doing so, leading to the other driver having to make a spilt
second decision.
Impairment or distraction:
Defective vision/disability (this could be when an object appears closer than it is
or when someone has a condition that limits them physically or mentally.)
For example, someone who suffers from dizziness might have a spell during
driving that could lead to them causing an accident.
Drugs and alcohol (these are substances that can inhibit your ability to make
rational decisions.)
For example, people under the influence of alcohol with driving could be charged
with a DUI and be fined and banned from driving.
Fatigue (this can be described as a feeling of constant tiredness and weakness.)
An example of this could be because the driver has a pre-existing condition or
something as simple as the driver has just woken up.
Mobile phones (a telephone which has access to a cellular radio system
so it may be used over a large area, that does not need a physical
connection to a network.)
For example, someone might be on their phone while driving which could
distract them, leading to an accident.
Satellite navigation (this is as simple as an electronic system that helps to guide a
driver to the destination they want to.)
For example, this is usually used for when a driver is unaware of where they are
going to.
Attitudes towards drinking:
, Zero tolerance (this is a policy to help stop people from driving under the
influence of alcohol.)
For example, police officers can pull drivers over if they think they are under the
influence and check if they are.
Legal limit (this is the legal limit of alcohol that a driver is allowed to have in their
system when driving a car.)
An example of this is when a driver has had a few beers they can drive home if
the alcohol content does not exceed the legal limit.
Drink driving (this is the crime of driving with an excess of alcohol in the blood
steam or more commonly known as DUI.)
For example, when a driver has had too much to drive and then them decide to
drive home under the influence.
Passenger impact:
While driving the driver needs to be completely aware of what is happening
because there are many things on the road that can cause an accident, and with a
passenger in the car with them it can lead to distractions that can take the drivers
focus off the road.
Along with passengers distracting the driver, they also add extra weight on the
car which can have an impact on how long it takes to brake, which means drivers
must think more about their braking distance.
Education:
There is a great need for speed awareness campaigns because many drivers need
to become more aware of the impact of speeding and the dangers they pose
while driving.
An example of the is when the government does lots of research on the
usefulness of speed awareness campaigns, and they have found that many men
are overconfident in their ability at the wheel, so the government created the ‘be
the mate who won’t speed’ which made young men rethink their driving habits.
An improvement to these campaigns would be to get the victims of car accidents
to speak out about their experiences to really make a statement about what
happens to the victims of these accidents.
Enviromental factors in causing traffic collisions and injuries -
Weather conditions:
Rain (this can cause the stopping distance of the car to increase because of the
slippy road conditions.)
Ice (ice on the windscreen can cause visibility issues and because of the lack of
friction on the road it can lead to the car not being able to get a grip on the road.)
Black ice (because black ice is not visible on the road, drivers must be incredibly
careful when driving because if they are going too fast, the car could spin out of
control and not be able to brake fast enough.)
Snow (if there is high snowfall, then visibility could become an issue, and because
of the chilly weather it can also affect parts of the car, by freezing it over.)
Sun (when driving into direct sunlight it can obscure the driver's vision and reduce
what the driver could see.)
Wind (when there are intense winds, it could change the trajectory of the vehicle,
this could affect the speed at which a driver would have to go.)
Traffic control:
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