If you’ve been wondering when the majority of crashes happen on Isle of Wight road, we’ve got some info for you.
In a somewhat unexpected revelation, the analysis of data indicates a pattern contrary to the stereotypical assumptions about the timing of these unfortunate incidents.
The 2021 data, published by the Isle of Wight’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP), which showed there were 242 road incidents involving injury on the Island.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Superintendent Robert Mitchell said the data showed that Island residents were involved in most incidents, rather than ‘irresponsible young drivers’ and ‘incapable old drivers’.
It shows that the majority of incidents occurred during the more clement months of the year, from April through to September. This might be contrary to expectations of winter months, with their poor weather conditions, being more accident-prone – but also ties in with the time when there’s an increase in Island traffic.
Days of Week
In terms of weekly patterns, Wednesday through to Saturday saw more incidents than other days of the week. This could possibly be attributed to an increased movement due to weekend activities and travel.
Times of day
The incidents also appear to have two distinct peaks.
The first peak occurs in the mid-morning, between 11am and 1pm, which might coincide with people making trips during their lunch breaks or running errands.
The second peak is more predictable, falling during the evening rush hour from 4pm to 6pm when workers are generally commuting back home.
Speeds
Most of the incident took place on built-up roads with speed limits ranging from 21 to 30mph, and surprisingly, not usually at junctions, which are typically seen as high-risk areas.
Motorcyclists: Above national averages
Motorcyclists up to the age of 24 represented a notable concern due to their relatively high rates of hospital admissions, which surpassed the national average.
In response to these findings, the Roads Policing Unit has been re-established to enhance road safety, one of the top priorities for the CSP (Isle of Wight’s Community Safety Partnership).
Recent campaign
In a recent campaign, Operation Mile, over 120 offences were detected, with the majority linked to impaired driving due to drugs or alcohol. This enforcement activity will hopefully serve as a deterrent and contribute to a decrease in the number of incidents on the Isle of Wight’s roads.
Article based on information contained in the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Alterations and additions have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Lee Haywood under CC BY 2.0
