Major Contributing Factors Contents: Page Figure 3.1 Major Contributing Factors by Collision Severity 16 3.2 Major Contributing Factors in Collisions by Road System 19 Table 3.1 Top 10 Contributory Factors in Fatal Collisions 14 3.2 All Major Contributing Factors in Fatal Collisions 15 3.3 Count of Factors by Severity 16 3.4 Count of Action Factors by Severity 16 3.5 Count of Factors by Severity 17 3.6 Count of Factors by Severity 17 3.7 Count of Factors by Road System 18 3.8 Count of Action Factors by Road System 18 3.9 Count of Factors by Road System 18 3.10 Count of Factors by Road System 19 13
Major Contributing Factors Contributing factors are those circumstances or factors that have directly contributed to the collision or its severity. TAIS recognizes that a collision usually results from many causal factors. The collision data system accepts up to four contributing factors for each vehicle involved in a collision. Factors can be selected from four categories: human condition, human action, vehicle condition, and driving environment. In traffic collisions reported by police agencies, the causal factors are assigned by the investigating officer. Incidents reported through SGI s Dial-A-Claim are assigned causal factors only if they are clearly identified in the drivers statements. The causal factors in property damage only collisions are therefore much more subjective in nature and not directly comparable to previous years and casualty collisions. This section summarizes all contributing factors that were reported. In 2015, a total of 38,544 factors contributed to 27,870 collisions. With the exception of Table 3.1, the numbers in following tables and figures represent the number of occurrences of each factor. Figure 3.1 shows that human condition is a more prevalent factor in fatal collisions (48%) than in all collisions (25%). condition and human action account for 62% of all factors in collisions, as compared to 87% of factors in fatal crashes. Figure 3.2 summarizes the factors by road system. factors contribute to 81% of urban collisions, while environmental conditions, mainly animal actions, are more prevalent in rural and highway collisions (63% and 69%). Top 10 Contributory Factors in Fatal Collisions During 2015 Driver// Factors Urban Streets Provincial Highways Table 3.1 Rural Roads Other Total % of Total Alcohol Involvement 1 7 22 14 12 55 23.1 Distracted Driving 2 3 23 7 0 33 13.9 Speed-Related 3 3 9 8 4 24 10.1 Other Action 4 12 4 2 22 9.2 Driving Too Fast for s 1 6 6 4 17 7.1 Fail to Yield/Traffic Control Disregarded 3 11 3 0 17 7.1 Following Too Closely 3 11 3 0 17 7.1 Other s 1 9 0 1 11 4.6 Careless Driving/Stunting 3 3 2 1 9 3.8 Driver Inexperience/Confusion 1 3 2 0 6 2.5 * A collision can have a maximum of four contributing factors for each vehicle involved. 1 Alcohol involvement collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Had Been Drinking or Impaired. 2 Distracted driving collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Inattentive or Distracted. 3 Speed-related collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Driving Too Fast for Road s or Exceeding the Speed Limit. 14
All Major Contributing Factors In 2015 Fatal Collisions Table 3.2 Urban Provincial Rural Driver// Factors Streets Highways Roads Other Total % of Total Alcohol Involvement 1 7 22 14 12 55 23.1 Distracted Driving 2 3 23 7 0 33 13.9 Speed-Related 3 3 9 8 4 24 10.1 Other Action 4 12 4 2 22 9.2 Driving Too Fast for s 1 6 6 4 17 7.1 Fail to Yield/Traffic Control Disregarded 3 11 3 0 17 7.1 Following Too Closely 3 11 3 0 17 7.1 Other s 1 9 0 1 11 4.6 Careless Driving/Stunting 3 3 2 1 9 3.8 Driver Inexperience/Confusion 1 3 2 0 6 2.5 Pedestrian Action Contributed 2 2 1 1 6 2.5 Weather s 0 4 1 0 5 2.1 Passing or Improper Lane Usage 0 3 1 0 4 1.7 Drugs (Prescription or Illegal) 0 1 0 1 2 0.8 Taking Evasive Action 0 2 0 0 2 0.8 Animal Action (Wild) 0 1 1 0 2 0.8 Other 0 2 0 0 2 0.8 Lost Consciousness/Other Illness 0 2 0 0 2 0.8 Fell Asleep 0 1 0 0 1 0.4 Snow Drift 0 0 1 0 1 0.4 View Obstructed/Limited 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Physical/Medical Disability 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Defective Tires/Tire Blowout 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Other /Defect 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Lane Marking Inadequate 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Defective Exhaust System 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Extreme Fatigue 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Turning Improperly 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1 Alcohol involvement collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Had Been Drinking or Impaired. 2 Distracted driving collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Inattentive or Distracted. 3 Speed-related collisions involve drivers who have been coded as Driving Too Fast for Road s or Exceeding the Speed Limit'. 15
Major Contributing Factors by Collision Severity Figure 3.1 Action 39% Fatal Collisions 12% 1% Action 48% Injury Collisions 29% 48% All Collisions 21% 2% Action 37% 36% 25% 2% Count of Factors by Severity Table 3.3 Damage Injury Fatal Total Factors Driver Inattention 4,666 316 29 5,011 13.0 Driver Inexperience/Confusion 701 271 6 978 2.5 Driver Distraction 996 287 4 1,287 3.3 Driving While Impaired 537 229 46 812 2.1 Had Been Drinking 336 121 9 466 1.2 Other s 570 130 11 711 1.8 Fell Asleep 109 57 1 167 0.4 Extreme Fatigue 76 39 0 115 0.3 Drugs (Prescription or Illegal) 48 19 2 69 0.2 Lost Consciousness/Other Illness 43 39 2 84 0.2 Physical/Medical Disability 52 28 0 80 0.2 Defective Eyesight/Hearing 12 5 0 17 0.0 Total 8,146 1,541 110 9,797 25.4 Count of Action Factors by Severity Table 3.4 Action Damage Injury Fatal Total Factors Fail to Yield 2,251 953 11 3,215 8.3 Following Too Closely 1,219 880 0 2,099 5.4 Driving Too Fast for s 1,161 387 17 1,565 4.1 Taking Evasive Action 855 251 2 1,108 2.9 Traffic Control Device Disregarded 777 307 6 1,090 2.8 Other Action 1,099 308 22 1,429 3.7 Passing or Improper Lane Usage 923 128 4 1,055 2.7 Backing Unsafely 744 40 1 785 2.0 Turning Improperly 828 106 0 934 2.4 Careless Driving/Stunting 495 113 9 617 1.6 Exceeding Speed Limit 145 85 7 237 0.6 Pedestrian Action Contributed 2 52 6 60 0.2 Fail to Signal 32 6 0 38 0.1 Driving Wrong Way in One Way Traffic 8 14 3 25 0.1 Total 10,539 3,630 88 14,257 37 16
Count of Factors by Severity Table 3.5 Damage Injury Fatal Total Factors Other /Defect 161 26 0 187 0.5 Defective Tires/Tire Blowout 111 20 0 131 0.3 Jackknife/Trailer Swing 43 8 1 52 0.1 Defective Brakes 59 21 0 80 0.2 Overloaded/Improperly Loaded 60 6 1 67 0.2 View from Obstructed 39 14 0 53 0.1 Load Shifted/Spilled 33 3 0 36 0.1 Defective Suspension/Wheel Failure 34 8 0 42 0.1 Defective Steering 18 11 0 29 0.1 Defective Engine/Power Train/Wiring 12 6 0 18 0.0 Defective Lights 8 2 1 11 0.0 Lights Not On 7 5 0 12 0.0 Defective Exhaust System 0 0 0 0 0.0 Total 585 130 3 718 1.9 Count of Factors by Severity Table 3.6 Damage Injury Fatal Total Factors Road (Surface or Structure) 3,428 733 10 4,171 10.8 Animal Action (Wild) 5,093 290 2 5,385 14.0 Weather s 692 220 5 917 2.4 Uninvolved 514 375 1 890 2.3 View Obstructed/Limited 380 144 0 524 1.4 Other 298 67 2 367 1.0 Excessive Loose Gravel 153 99 3 255 0.7 Snow Drift 182 30 1 213 0.6 Sun Glare 148 52 1 201 0.5 Uninvolved Pedestrian 92 69 0 161 0.4 Animal Action (Domestic) 170 24 0 194 0.5 Obstruction/Debris on Road 191 29 1 221 0.6 Construction Zone 82 45 1 128 0.3 Soft or Defective Shoulder 69 27 0 96 0.2 Traffic Control Device Not Working 24 7 0 31 0.1 Lane Marking Inadequate 13 5 0 18 0.0 Total 11,529 2,216 27 13,772 35.7 17
Count of Factors by Road System Table 3.7 Streets Highways Roads Other Total Factors Driver Inattention 4,550 310 119 32 5,011 13.0 Driver Inexperience/Confusion 524 215 207 32 978 2.5 Driver Distraction 1,048 163 58 18 1,287 3.3 Driving While Impaired 554 139 58 61 812 2.1 Had Been Drinking 298 86 48 34 466 1.2 Other s 575 94 28 14 711 1.8 Fell Asleep 44 101 17 5 167 0.4 Extreme Fatigue 40 66 6 3 115 0.3 Drugs (Prescription or Illegal) 51 13 1 4 69 0.2 Lost Consciousness/Other Illness 50 25 6 3 84 0.2 Physical/Medical Disability 68 9 2 1 80 0.2 Defective Eyesight/Hearing 10 7 0 0 17 0.0 Total 7,812 1,228 550 207 9,797 25.4 Count of Action Factors by Road System Table 3.8 Action Streets Highways Roads Other Total Factors Fail to Yield 2,939 184 73 19 3,215 8.3 Following Too Closely 1,933 115 38 13 2,099 5.4 Driving Too Fast for s 1,025 242 229 69 1,565 4.1 Taking Evasive Action 514 339 187 68 1,108 2.9 Traffic Control Device Disregarded 1,022 51 15 2 1,090 2.8 Other Action 1,136 172 77 44 1,429 3.7 Passing or Improper Lane Usage 924 112 13 6 1,055 2.7 Backing Unsafely 749 11 6 19 785 2.0 Turning Improperly 857 54 13 10 934 2.4 Careless Driving/Stunting 457 86 39 35 617 1.6 Exceeding Speed Limit 139 47 40 11 237 0.6 Pedestrian Action Contributed 49 5 2 4 60 0.2 Fail to Signal 26 9 2 1 38 0.1 Driving Wrong Way in One Way Traffic 14 9 1 1 25 0.1 Total 11,784 1,436 735 302 14,257 37 Count of Factors by Road System Table 3.9 Streets Highways Roads Other Total Factors Other /Defect 97 63 15 12 187 0.5 Defective Tires/Tire Blowout 42 64 17 8 131 0.3 Overloaded/Improperly Loaded 15 42 7 3 67 0.2 Jackknife/Trailer Swing 11 30 8 3 52 0.1 Defective Brakes 62 8 8 2 80 0.2 View from Obstructed 44 4 2 3 53 0.1 Load Shifted/Spilled 11 20 4 1 36 0.1 Defective Suspension/Wheel Failure 9 26 6 1 42 0.1 Defective Steering 14 8 4 3 29 0.1 Defective Engine/Power Train/Wiring 9 7 2 0 18 0.0 Lights Not On 7 3 1 1 12 0.0 Defective Lights 5 6 0 0 11 0.0 Defective Exhaust System 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Total 326 281 74 37 718 1.9 18
Count of Factors by Road System Table 3.10 Streets Highways Roads Other Total Factors Road (Surface or Structure) 2,460 862 602 247 4,171 10.8 Animal Action (Wild) 150 4,050 942 243 5,385 14.0 Weather s 296 481 103 37 917 2.4 Uninvolved 511 295 53 31 890 2.3 View Obstructed/Limited 194 176 104 50 524 1.4 Other 113 125 89 40 367 1.0 Excessive Loose Gravel 19 51 156 29 255 0.7 Snow Drift 73 88 47 5 213 0.6 Sun Glare 147 33 15 6 201 0.5 Uninvolved Pedestrian 157 2 2 0 161 0.4 Animal Action (Domestic) 58 77 39 20 194 0.5 Obstruction/Debris on Road 70 107 27 17 221 0.6 Construction Zone 71 31 17 9 128 0.3 Soft or Defective Shoulder 8 32 47 9 96 0.2 Traffic Control Device Not Working 19 2 10 0 31 0.1 Lane Marking Inadequate 11 6 1 0 18 0.0 Total 4,357 6,418 2,254 743 13,772 35.7 Major Contributing Factors in Collisions by Road System Figure 3.2 Urban Streets Provincial Highways Action 49% 18% 1% 3% 13% Action 15% 32% 69% Rural Roads Other Roads 63% 16% Action 23% Action 20% 3% 15% 2% 58% 19