Road debris crashes reach five year high with ‘most’ items falling directly from cars

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The stats show more than 24,000 drivers were involved in incidents with loose bits of debris on the road last year, more than since 2015, A total of 24,330 drivers were involved in accidents, up from 21,058 the year before in 2019.

Figures stood at 25,966 in 2015 but rates dropped over the next three years.

Just 20,332 drivers were affected in 2016 with 18,640 incidents recorded in 2018.

Highways England did not give away exact details of how many accidents were caused by each piece of debris.

However, they provided a general overview of the types of debris which could have caused incidents attributed in the data.

These included anything from agriculture and farming debris to building or construction obstacles.

Dead animals, household and garden waste mud, water and flooding were also considered types of road debris.

Trees and vegetation were also listed alongside roadworks and traffic management obstacles.

However, Highways England warned “most” incidents were probably a result of debris from damaged vehicles.

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The data was uncovered through a recent Freedom of Information Act request to Highways England.

Replying to the request, Highways England said: “A lane impact results from any incident where the capacity (of one or more running lanes) has been reduced or where there is deemed to be a risk to a road user such as debris.

“An impact may or may not result in a full carriageway or motorway closure.

“A lane impact can relate to a single lane that has been closed for a period of time.

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