Road traffic accidents in Wiltshire have crept up by more than five per cent over the past three years, with new figures pointing firmly towards one familiar culprit — people simply not paying attention.
Data obtained by Accident Claims Advice from Wiltshire Police shows that 7,415 collisions were reported between 2023 and 2025. Annual totals rose from 2,494 in 2023 to 2,623 in 2025, marking a 5.17 per cent increase.
While the overall numbers remain modest compared with larger force areas, the trend is enough to raise eyebrows locally — particularly given the underlying causes.
Top of the list each year was “failure to look properly”, described in practical terms as ineffective observation. In other words, drivers, riders or even pedestrians not fully taking in what is happening around them. It’s a finding that cuts through many of the assumptions often made about road safety.
Notably absent from the leading causes are drink-driving and excessive speed. Instead, the pattern points to lapses in concentration — momentary distractions with potentially serious consequences.
In 2023 and 2024, the next most common factors were poor judgement of another vehicle’s speed or path, followed by careless or hurried behaviour. By 2025, however, there was a shift, with more incidents linked to aggressive or reckless driving, alongside people travelling too fast for the conditions rather than exceeding the limit outright.
The issue has not been confined to statistics. A recent case in Salisbury, involving a driver from Warminster who received a suspended prison sentence after admitting causing death by careless driving, has kept the risks firmly in public view.
The figures also highlight a clear age pattern. Drivers aged 30 to 39 were most frequently recorded as being at fault, involved in 1,345 incidents over the three-year period. Those aged 20 to 29 were close behind with 1,277, while the 40 to 49 bracket accounted for 1,162.
Older drivers fared somewhat better overall, although those aged between 50 and 69 were still linked to a combined 1,838 accidents. There were also 97 incidents involving underage drivers — a small but notable figure.
For those working in road safety and legal fields, the message is straightforward. Tracy Chick, Road Traffic Accident Manager at JF Law, said the findings underline how easily everyday journeys can go wrong.
“Driving is something most of us do without a second thought, but it carries real risks,” she said. “It’s not always the obvious factors like speed or alcohol. Distractions, poor weather and lapses in concentration can be just as dangerous.”
Her conclusion is hard to argue with: small mistakes can have lasting consequences, and better awareness behind the wheel remains one of the simplest ways to reduce them.
