Is Traffic Congestion the Main Cause of Car Accidents?

Go Figure: Are country roads more dangerous than city roads? (Michael Blastland, BBC News magazine, Jan. 19, 2012)

Also discussed here: Roads vs. Streets: Wherein the greater danger? (World Streets, Jan. 19, 2012)

A near fatal accident close to my home recently triggered the review of today’s post  which examines the links between  traffic accidents  and health consequences in and around London UK.  While more traffic volume and congestion seems to be related to more accidents, it is not as much more as one would expect . Also, it seems that non fatal accidents (involving only property damage) are greater with less traffic,  more fatal accidents occur with more traffic where speed may also be a factor. One conclusion is that traffic characteristics need to be considered when designing safer roads and intersections.

To see Key Quotes and Links to key reports about this post, click HERE