How common are reversing accidents?
Reversing is such an everyday part of driving that it can sometimes be easy to underestimate how difficult and dangerous it can be without a backup camera. Unfortunately, even at low speeds, just a momentary loss of concentration can be enough to have serious and lasting consequences. It could happen to anyone, as the saying goes. So the question is - just how common are reversing accidents?
A quick look at the numbers
There are various sources of data, but one of the most authoritative (and compelling) comes from the UK government’s very own Department for Transport. They’re still compiling the most recent set of figures on reversing accidents specifically, but data from as recently as 2017 shows that it’s still a big problem. Throughout 2017-18, about 3400 vehicles were involved in reversing accidents. That includes:
- 2775 cars
- 18 buses or coaches
- 428 vans or Light Good Vehicles
- 89 HGVs
The remainder of the figures include other vehicles, and cases where the type of vehicle involved wasn’t recorded. The total equates to roughly 10 accidents every single day of the year, across the nation. These accidents vary in severity. Some involved collisions with sturdy objects like bollards or low walls, which can be very expensive, but harmless to human health. The same can’t be said of all collisions, some of which result in serious injury, and even - tragically - death.
Some environments can be particularly hazardous for vulnerable road users, and tricky for drivers to navigate. The tight spaces involved, constant movement and dense mix of pedestrians to vehicles (not to mention families with young children) make them likely spots for a collision. Driveways are another danger area, as children playing and loose pets can sometimes stray into blind spots.
Complicating the problem is the fact that, as we touched on above, even collisions at low speeds can be devastating, especially if the driver doesn’t realise they’ve hit something. This is particularly true in the case of larger vehicles (which is why HGVs and LGVs factor in to the statistics above). In fact, parking and reversing were recently found to be factors in around one in 10 serious van accidents. Due to the size and weight of modern HGVs, they’re typically outfitted with plenty of technology designed to make them safer, but when they are involved in reversing accidents, they’re even more devastating - especially as the driver can’t always immediately tell when they’ve hit something.
How can you avoid the consequences of a reversing accident
Thankfully, there’s an increasing range of technology available to mitigate the danger, especially from us right here at Car Communications. One of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself from reversing accidents is by getting a reversing camera. They’re widely considered such an effective measure that there are even talks of making reversing cameras mandatory under UK law.
However, they’re not legally mandated yet - and if you’re not keen on the idea of fitting a reversing camera to your vehicle, even a simple set of parking sensors will help. These work by audible proximity, with increasingly rapid beeps to help you work out how close you are to the nearest obstacle. In case you’re thinking “that sounds a lot like sonar” well, the principle is just the same! Many motorists choose either parking sensors or backup cameras, but some people choose both for extra peace of mind. If you’re wavering between the two and wondering whether you should choose reversing cameras or parking sensors, we’ve written a post which should help you decide.
However, it’s important to remember that these devices aren’t a replacement for good old fashioned looking around. You will still need to (literally) use your head during your everyday reversing manoeuvres, and check your blindspots yourself, stopping you from contributing to another set of statistics - or worse, becoming them!
Most reversing car cameras make this easy for you, engaging automatically when you shift into reverse. We’ve got a huge number of them to choose from here at Car Communications - why not take a look around our stock, and see what you can find?