Close Calls on the Road: A Study of Drivers' Near-Misses

Joining a long standing tradition in the field of industrial accident prevention, traffic accident research\nhas begun to extend the study of accidents and serious incidents to include also near-misses and unsafe\nconditions. As part of a Swedish project called FICA (Factors Influencing the Causation of Incidents and\nAccidents), a study has been conducted to investigate near-misses, with the aim of clarifying different types\nand frequencies, as well as possible causes at the blunt and sharp end. The near-miss study made use of an\nanalysis method called Driving Reliability and Error Analysis Method. The purpose of the method is to\nuncover the main socio-technical (MTO) factors involved in scenarios leading to traffic accidents. The study\nresulted in valuable understanding of near-misses in traffic and their aetiology, suggestions for\nimprovements of the analysis method, and a basis for further, more extensive, near-miss studies.