Home is Where the 'Crash' is?

08-September-2008

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Pop quiz: Do you think most car accidents occur on familiar or unfamiliar roads? ...

Get your jaw ready to drop, as NRMA Insurance's latest research shows that the typical crash in NSW happens less than 5kms from home.

"Motorists should not get complacent when driving close to home. It is important they don't get lazy when driving on familiar streets, as this is when accidents are most likely happen," says NRMA Insurance Operations Manager Steve Beatty.

"Familiarity of roads and common driving behaviours can make people less prepared to respond to unexpected situations," he adds.

Age & gender differences

The research also showed that drivers within the 21-25-year age group are most likely to have a crash further away from home, whereas the average crash distance decreases with age, especially after 65 years of age.

"It's likely that as people get older, they tend to do most of their driving closer to home, putting them at increased exposure for a crash in their local area," says Steve.

Additionally, the research has also shown that crashes involving male drivers tend to occur further from home than crashes involving females.

"Crash trends are often related to driver exposure – motorists are most likely to crash in areas where they spend most time driving, which may suggest females spend more time driving in the area around where they live," he says.

Crash times

Interestingly, the research also indicated that crashes occurring from 6am to midday were most likely to happen closer to home, whereas those occurring from midnight to 6am tended to occur further from home.

"Motorists need to take care behind the wheel no matter where they are but its important drivers are aware that the chances of having a crash are actually greater when they are close to home," concludes Steve.

Did you know?

Your tyres can make or break your car's safety factor, so it's important to make sure they're in tip-top condition! Check out our tyre safety articles for some tips and advice here or pop into a Bridgestone Select store for some hands-on help.