Driver distraction blamed for increase in side collisions.
Crash data released in the UK could again show that electronic devices and other factors that cause driver distraction could be leading to an increase in lane change crashes.
The Accident Exchange says that collisions in which a vehicle was struck or sideswiped by another moving into a different lane increased from 5.53% of all incidents in 2010 to 7.16% of incidents recorded in 2014.
Liz Fisher from Accident Exchange believes driver distraction is squarely to blame for motorists colliding with the sides of other vehicles.
“Lane changes demand a driver’s full attention and swift reactions but too many drivers are diverting their focus from the road and putting themselves – and other road users – at risk.
“Time spent using a mobile or hastily following instructions from a satnav system can prevent a driver from making the necessary checks before merging into the next lane.”
