This study investigates drivers' memories of involvement in near-accidents. In a pilot study, drivers carried microcassette recorders in their cars and reported any near-accidents after each journey. These data confirmed that the frequency of near-accidents is greatly underestimated when subjects are simply asked to recall them. The main study then compared reports and recalls of over 7,000 car journeys, which included more than 400 reports of near-accidents, from 70 subjects over the course of one year. The study also investigated the influences of the driver's experience, the severity of the near-accident and the driver's self-perceived degree of blame. Results indicate that near-accidents are generally forgotten very quickly, with an estimated 80% of incidents being no longer reported after a delay of up to 2 weeks. Near-accidents that were least likely to be forgotten included those which were perceived to be serious and those in which the driver admitted to being at fault.
Abstract