Seven in 10 drivers experience a near miss every year
More than seven in 10 drivers say they’ve experienced a near miss while driving, with most motorists having three close calls every year.
The survey of 2,000 motorists was carried out by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover.
It examined how frequent near misses are, where they are likely to occur, and how they impact driver behaviour.
The research found that 71% of drivers admit they narrowly avoided a collision, with the average number of incidents recorded at 2.6 a year. But nine per cent said they experience a near miss at least six times a year.
Blame game
More than half of respondents (55%) blamed aggressive or risky driving from other motorists as the cause, with one in 10 blaming cyclists and pedestrians, and 11% admitting shared responsibility.
Only eight per cent admitted full responsibility for nearly causing a collision, with 38% of this number saying it was due to lack of attention.
Meanwhile, 32% of incidents took place on residential roads and 43% occurred between 10am and 4pm.
A quarter of drivers (25%) said that a near miss has negatively impacted their confidence behind the wheel, with 32% paying more attention behind the wheel, one in five more conscious of speed, and one in 10 no longer driving in bad weather.
