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Driver error the cause of more road traffic accidents than any other factor.

If you are the innocent victim, Swindon Accident Solicitors can help you claim compensation.

Most people have had ‘there by the grace of god’ moments when driving, when motorway traffic suddenly stalls or an ambulance screeches past, and then you inch your way forward until passing a crash scene of tangled metal and smoking debris.

Whenever this happens, we ask ourselves the same question: How did that happen? Well, thanks to the UK’s leading road safety charity, there is a clear answer. Using data gathered by police covering 700,000 accidents, IAM Road Smart analysed, in minute detail, the anatomy of a road accident.

Surprising findings emerged, not least the relative unimportance that speeding plays in road accidents. In fact, illegal speeding accounts for only 13.9% of fatal accidents. A bigger cause (15.9%) is going too fast for the conditions – entering a bend too quickly, for instance – when you might well be under the actual speed limit.

But the biggest cause of road accidents is driver error or reaction, listed by police as a factor in more than 65% of fatal crashes. Topping the charge sheet is failing to look properly, followed by loss of control. Other errors include poor manoeuvring and failure to judge another person's path or speed. And then, of course, there’s the modern one, distraction caused by using a hand-held mobile phone.

The overriding message? It's not your car or the road conditions that are most likely to kill you. It's your own driving. Men are more often careless, reckless or in a hurry, or travelling too fast for conditions. Women are more likely to be inexperienced, but less likely to have been drinking. Age is also a factor. Older drivers more frequently fail to look properly while younger ones are more likely to be going too fast, either for the limit, or the conditions.

All too often, one person’s moment of distraction behind the wheel can lead to an innocent person’s injury. If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault, then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

We understand that a road accident can be life changing if you have broken bones or have suffered head or spinal cord injury. Severe injuries require specialist knowledge and expertise not only for those left injured but also for family members that may be dependent on the injured party and unsure what to do.

Swindon Accident Solicitors can also help with claims for minor injuries such as whiplash, cuts and bruises and ensure that you receive physiotherapy treatment to help speed your recovery.

If you are the victim of a road accident that is not your fault, don’t hesitate to contact Swindon Accident Solicitors for a FREE, no obligation assessment of your right to accident compensation. Please call 01793 425595.