Question:
Are you really more likely to have a traffic accident closer to home (the so-called “close-to-home effect”)?
Answer:
Yes, a now infamous survey from Progressive Insurance showed that over 50% of all traffic accidents in the US occur within a 5-mile radius of home. What’s more, a follow up survey showed that this is not just due to an increased amount of journey time spent close to home!The chart below shows the results of the initial Progressive Insurance survey of 11,000 motorists in 2001.
The follow up survey was conducted in New Zealand and published in Safety Science in 2017. It found that more accidents happened closer to home, but a greater amount than would be explained by the increase in journey exposure. The average distance from home during journeys in that study was measured at 38.7km, whereas the average distance from home of accidents was 25.3km.
Key takeaways:
- If you’re driving home for the holidays, please pay particular attention to the roads as you’re nearing your destination!