CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

According to a NHTSA report to Congress^[1], the three main factors influencing the likelihood of vehicular accidents are: Human Behavior, Mechanical failure, and Environmental conditions.

Human Behavioral Factors

Being distracted, drunk or under the influence, and speeding that is way beyond the posted limit have been established to be the leading cause of accidents all over the world.^{[2] [3] [4]}

1. Distracted Driving. It refers to the driving of a vehicle while engaged in another activity that diverts attention from the safe driving and control of the vehicle. It can be grouped into three primary types such as visual, manual, and cognitive^[5] and the most common type of distracted driving is the use of mobile phones and eating while driving.^[6]  It has been one of the top causes of vehicle related accident around the World.[7]

2. Driving Under the Influence. It can have two types: Alcohol impaired and drug-impaired driving. In 2023, around 12,429 deaths were recorded in the United States that drunk drivers caused.^[8] The consumption of alcohol or drugs before driving impairs the driver’s functional capabilities which includes reaction time, situational awareness and speed management and this leads to increased involvement in a vehicle crash.[9]

3.       Lack of experience. Limited driving experience and unfamiliarity with traffic rules and regulations increase the likelihood of driver errors and can contribute to traffic accidents.[10] [11] [12] [13]

[1] NHTSA, “National Causation Survey Report to Congress”, 2008, U.S Department of Transport.

[2] World Health Organization,” Road Traffic Injuries”, (WHO, 2023), www.who.com, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries;

[3] National Safety Council, “Motor Vehicle Safety Issues: Speeding”, (NSC, n.d), www.nsc.org, https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-safety-issues/speeding/.

[4] Edgard Snyder, “Texting and Driving Accident Statistics 2024”, (Edgar Snyder, 2024),www.endgarsnyder.com, https://www.edgarsnyder.com/resources/texting-and-driving-accident-statistics.

[5] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Distracted Driving.” In Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, n.d. Accessed January 17, 2026. https://www.nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/distracted-driving.

[6] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Distracted Driving Dangers and Statistics,” NHTSA, last updated April 30, 2022, https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.

[7] World Health Organization. “Road Traffic Injuries.” WHO, updated 12 December 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries.

[8] U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Alcohol-Impaired Driving 2023 Data: Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 813 713. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, May 2025. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813713.

[9] Eluru, Naveen, Luis F. Miranda-Moreno, Tarek Sayed, and André M. Haque. “Impaired Driving Due to Alcohol or Drugs: International Differences and Policy Implications.” IATSS Research 44, no. 4 (2020): 253–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2020.05.002.

[10] SafetyCube Decision Support System. “Lack of Driving Experience.” March 2018. https://www.roadsafety-dss.eu/assets/data/pdf/synopses/Lack_of_driving_experience_032018.pdf.

[11] European Commission, European Road Safety Observatory. “Lack of Driving Experience.” Mobility & Transport – Road Safety. Accessed April 22, 2026. https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory/statistics-and-analysis-archive/young-people/lack-driving-experience_en.

[12] Shuaiming Chen, Haipeng Shao, and Ximing Ji, “Insights into Factors Affecting Traffic Accident Severity of Novice and Experienced Drivers: A Machine Learning Approach,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 23 (December 2, 2021): 12725, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312725.

[13] Personal Communication, Mike Vargas, DOH-Abu Dhabi Licensed EMT, 2025.