A brand new survey has revealed simply how often UK motorists encounter close to miss driving incidents, underlining the necessity for heightened consciousness, higher decision-making, and continued skilled improvement for trainers and their pupils.
The examine of two,000 drivers, carried out by non permanent automobile insurance coverage supplier Tempcover, discovered that 71 p.c have skilled at the very least one close to miss. The common driver encounters nearly three shut calls a yr, which the Driving Instructors Affiliation says is a well timed reminder of how shortly conditions can escalate, notably for learners who could already be managing increased cognitive load.
What’s inflicting these close to misses?
Greater than half of respondents blamed one other driver for his or her most up-to-date shut name, with one quarter citing aggressive or dangerous behaviour. Ten p.c attributed the incident to cyclists or pedestrians, whereas eight p.c accepted full duty and pointed to lapses in focus. In conditions the place duty was shared, misjudging a junction or roundabout was the main trigger.
Throughout the survey, the ten most reported causes for close to misses had been:
• Aggressive or dangerous driving, 15 p.c
• Lack of consideration, 14 p.c
• Misjudged junctions, roundabouts, or turns, 11 p.c
• Poor climate, 7 p.c
• Dashing, 7 p.c
• Pedestrians moving into the highway unexpectedly, 6 p.c
• Poor highway circumstances, 5 p.c
• Cyclists not following highway guidelines, 5 p.c
• Distracted driving, 4 p.c
• Cyclists swerving or overtaking unexpectedly, 3 p.c
Residential areas had been the most typical setting for close to miss driving incidents, with 32 p.c of drivers reporting shut calls on these roads. Virtually half occurred throughout daytime hours between 10am and 4pm, a interval that for a lot of ADIs consists of hands-on pupil coaching.
Influence on driver confidence
One quarter of drivers stated a close to miss had lowered their confidence, with 38 p.c feeling shaken afterwards and a 3rd feeling annoyed. Encouragingly, many motorists adjusted their behaviour in response; nearly one third stated they paid extra consideration following the incident and one in 5 turned extra aware of pace. Some drivers launched security gear resembling dashcams, whereas others prevented tough circumstances fully.
For instructors, these findings reinforce the significance of encouraging reflective apply and serving to learners perceive that security is formed not solely by their very own actions however by the behaviour of others sharing the highway.
Serving to learners recognise and forestall close to misses
Tempcover’s driving security specialists emphasise the worth of proactive hazard consciousness, reinforcing current rules integral to ADI coaching. Their steering consists of:
• Minimising distractions and sustaining full focus
• Adjusting driving to swimsuit climate, visibility, and visitors circumstances
• Being notably vigilant in residential areas
• Reflecting on private driving habits and studying from shut calls
• Utilizing expertise resembling dashcams to help safer driving
For trainers, these factors present well timed prompts to revisit widespread danger components throughout classes, help learners with stronger statement routines, and combine reflective studying into on a regular basis apply.
