Biggest cause of road accidents identified

In the first report of its kind, the Department for Transport (DfT) also highlighted how "some kind of driver or rider error or reaction" resulted in five out of six accidents. For fatal accidents the most frequently reported contributory factor was loss of control, which was involved in 35% of road deaths.

Covering most accidents that took place in 2005, the report said that exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in only 5% of accidents, and going too fast for the conditions was a contributory factor in 10% of accidents.

However, speed was a factor in 26% of all fatal accidents. Also, eight times more male than female drivers or riders involved in road accidents were reported as exceeding the speed limit.

In addition, 17 to 19-year-old drivers or riders in accidents were more likely to have been speeding or going too fast for the conditions than older drivers. The report said that in general, the older the driver or rider involved in an accident, the less likely they were to have been driving too fast.

Too distracted

RAC Foundation executive director, Edmund King, commented: "For a number of years we have been arguing that we need to know more about the causes of crashes so that they can be addressed.

"Today's figures suggest that all drivers need to concentrate more on the road ahead rather than on their phones, passengers, music, food, drinks, navigation systems, or countryside clutter of signs."

Those campaigning against the widespread use of speed cameras said the figures showed the Government's road safety policy had been focussing on the wrong issues.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign, said: "Road safety policy in is free fall. The DfT is entirely responsible for a policy that has left us 1,200 lives lost each year behind expectation.

"I am certain that good road safety policy would have got annual road deaths down to 2,000 a year by now not 3,200. Speed cameras have focused everyone on the wrong safety factor and have proved to be a dangerous distraction."

The contributory factors report came out as the DfT also published estimates showing that the number of people killed in accidents involving drink-driving fell by 3% to 560 last year - with total casualties in drink-drive accidents falling by an estimated 9%.

Work journeys

The Government also gave more details of total road casualties in Britain in 2005, having first released figures at the end of June this year.

The statistics showed that there were 3,201 people killed on Britain's roads last year - 1% fewer than in 2004. The number of people seriously injured last year fell 7% to 28,954. Total casualties - deaths, serious injuries and slight injuries - fell 3% last year to 271,017.

For the first time information was gathered by police concerning the purpose of journeys involving accidents. The DfT said the data was obtained primarily to identify work-related incidents.

Around 15% drivers' journeys were recorded as part of work, and 9% were commuting. For almost three-quarters of drivers and riders their journey was either not related to work or "unknown or undefined". There were no figures published showing how many work-related accidents resulted in death or severe injury.

The Government has committed to reducing by 2010, the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 40% compared with the average for 1994-98. The DfT said that in 2005 the number of people killed or seriously injured in accidents reported to the police was 33% below the 1994-98 average.