INJURIESBOARD.IE RELEASES MOTOR CLAIM ANALYSIS
MOTOR ACCIDENTS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR ON FRIDAY
- OCTOBER IS MOST DANGEROUS MONTH FOR ROAD ACCIDENTS
October is the most dangerous month of the year and Friday is the most dangerous day of the week on Irish roads, according to a new analysis of almost 10,000 motor accident claims conducted by InjuriesBoard.ie.
"As part of our ongoing claims profiling, we have analysed some 9,655 personal injury awards made in 2006 and 2007 on foot of motor accidents. The results provide a valuable insight into motor accident trends in Ireland and specifically into the most dangerous days and months on our roads" commented Patricia Byron, Chief Executive of InjuriesBoard.ie.
Since 2004, personal injury claims in Ireland (excluding medical negligence) must be processed through the Injuries Board rather than through the Courts. "Injuries arising from motor accidents account for more than 7 out of every ten awards for personal injuries in Ireland. Given such high accident volumes on our roads, this comprehensive data should assist those involved in developing risk minimisation strategies" said Ms. Byron.
The data from the awards made in both 2006 and 2007, which totalled €200m, reveals that more motor accidents occurred in October than in any other month of the year, accounting for more than one in ten motor claims. In contrast, February and June, with less than 7% of accidents, were the safest months to be on the road.
An analysis of the data by day of the week, as per the table below, indicates that Friday records the highest volume of motor accidents at 16% while Tuesday appears to be the safest day on our roads with just 13% of accidents.
Ranking of Most Frequent Day and Month for Motor Accidents:
| Rank | Most Frequent Month | Most Frequent Day |
|---|
| 1 | October | Friday |
| 2 | August | Saturday |
| 3 | September | Thursday |
| 4 | November | Sunday |
| 5 | December | Monday |
| 6 | July | Wednesday |
| 7 | April | Tuesday |
| 8 | January | |
| 9 | March | |
| 10 | May | |
| 11 | February | |
| 12 | June | |
An analysis of motor liability awards 'per head of population' in 2007, released by the Injuries Board earlier this year, revealed that Louth had the highest level of awards. The county accounted for 4.58% of total awards, despite representing just 2.62% of the national population.
In contrast, Kilkenny had the lowest level of motor liability awards when compared with the national average, accounting for 1.09% of all awards in 2007 while representing 2.07% of the national population.
Top 5 Counties by Motor Liability Awards Per Head of Population:
| County | No. of Motor Liability Awards per County | % of Total Motor Liability Awards per County | % of Total Population in County | Variance to National Average |
|---|
| Louth | 260 | 4.58% | 2.62% | 75% |
| Limerick | 400 | 7.04% | 4.34% | 62% |
| Westmeath | 140 | 2.46% | 1.87% | 32% |
| Cork | 839 | 14.77% | 11.35% | 30% |
| Cavan | 109 | 1.92% | 1.51% | 27% |
Bottom 5 Counties by Motor Liability Awards Per Head of Population:
| County | No. of Motor Liability Awards per County | % of Total Motor Liability Awards per County | % of Total Population in County | Variance to National Average |
|---|
| Clare | 104 | 1.83% | 2.62% | -30% |
| Carlow | 45 | 0.79% | 1.19% | -33% |
| Roscommon | 52 | 0.92% | 1.39% | -34% |
| Waterford | 89 | 1.57% | 2.55% | -38% |
| Kilkenny | 62 | 1.09% | 2.07% | -47% |
Ends Thursday, 23rd October 2008
For reference:
InjuriesBoard.ie
Gerry Naughton 01 4634565 / 086 803 2891
Murray Consultants Limited
Pat Walsh 01 498 0352 / 087 226 9345
Avril Collins 01 498 0340 / 086 396 4368
*Note for Editors: