Only 6.4% of fatal crashes caused by excessive speed

[Brazen]

According to the South Australian Governments own report into crashes across SA in 2011, the following table shows the main causes of fatal accidents:

http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/__data/***...nkbook2011.pdf

Page 65

Table 18 Fatal Crashes and Fatalities by Apparent Error of Road
User Responsible, South Australia,

D.U.I. 19
Inattention 25
Fail to Stand 4 (collisions when turning right across an intersection)
Fail to Keep Left 13
Change Lanes to Endanger 1
Fail to Give Way 6
Reverse Without Due Care 3
Follow Too Closely 1
Overtake Without Due Care 2
Disobey – Stop Sign 1
Disobey – Give Way Sign 4
Died Sick or Asleep At Wheel 2
Vehicle Fault 1
Excessive Speed 6
Drunken Pedestrian 6
Total 94

What is interesting is that failing to keep left caused almost double the fatal crashes compared to excessive speed. And to put a further perspective just as many fatal crashes were caused by drunk pedestrians. Yep hundreds of thousands of vehicles driving millions of kilometres a year in South Australia caused just as many fatal accidents due to excessive speed than 6 drunk pedestrians.

keep in mind that excessive speed does not necessarily mean breaking the speed limit, some people can be using excessive speed driving at 40 in a 50 zone if there is significant trafffic. It goes to show how few fatal crashes are actually caused by exceeding a speed limit. Further data suggests that only 1 or 2 out of the 6 excessive speed crashes actually involved cars exceeding the speed limit (I need to do further research, the government data appears to be hazy on this....)

After this data was released, amazingly the South Australian government released a record amount of fixed speed cameras, mobile speed cameras, point to point speed cameras and millions in advertising resulting in the highest speed camera revenue on record.

Any death is sad and tragic whether caused by speed or otherwise, to put a sad comparison on the 6 fatal crashes caused by excessive speed, in the last full year of data, 197 people committed suicide in South Australia.