Crashes are usually caused by a combination of factors and thus often have multiple causes [14]. For example, speeding, drink and/or drug driving, and fatigue are known to be factors in the occurrence and/or outcome of crashes. Road design, vehicle characteristics and conditions can also contribute to the occurrence of a crash. However, crash causes are not (reliably) registered in BRON and LBZ. Therefore, it cannot be unequivocally determined in how many crashes the various factors played a role.
However, there is evidence of factors that often play a role in crash causation, for example, from European research on characteristics of serious road injuries among pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and car occupants [15]. This study found the following common crash causes:
- observation or judgment errors;
- inappropriate speed or reckless driving;
- use of psychoactive substances;
- loss of control of the vehicle.
Other contributing factors can be found in various SWOV fact sheets under the topic of Risks.
