Many causes for single vehicle crashes

Gothenburg, Sweden -- While single-vehicle accidents are often caused by driving under the influence, a Swedish study found fatigue, roads and inexperience also cause road mishaps.

Jesper Sandin and Mikael Ljung of the Vehicle Safety Division, at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, analyzed the cause and effect of 38 single-vehicle crashes that occurred in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The study, published in the International Journal of Vehicle Safety, found four main causes of the vehicle crashes.

One cause of the accidents was vehicles drifting off road or into the oncoming traffic lane due to driver fatigue, sleepiness or distraction. A second set of accidents was caused by a loss of traction caused by an undetected slippery surface.

A third reason for auto accidents was the loss of control in driving around a bend -- drivers overestimated their driving skills or had limited experience with the vehicle. In the final scenario, panicked drivers lost control of their vehicle as they tried to steer themselves out of trouble and failed through excessive over steering.

© 2007 United Press International.