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A New Zealand guide to the treatment of crash locations

This guide provides procedures for the treatment of traffic crash locations in New Zealand. It outlines practices and policies specific to New Zealand and forms a companion document to Austroads Guide to traffic engineering practice.

Print version: Appendix B(2) – Contributing factors [PDF, 72 KB]

Appendix B(2)

Contributing factors

Factors probably contributing to crashes
(Version 06/10/2003)

Driver Control

100 Alcohol or Drugs
101  Alcohol suspected
102  Alcohol test below limit
103  Alcohol test above limit or test refused
104  Alcohol test result unknown
105  Visibly intoxicated non-driver (pedestrian /cyclist/passenger
106
107
108  Drugs suspected
109  Drugs proven
110 Too Fast for Conditions
111  Cornering
112  On straight
113  To give way at intersection
114  Approaching railway crossing
115  When passing stationary school bus
116  At temporary speed limit
117  At crash or emergency
120 Failed to Keep Left
121  Swung wide on bend
122  Swung wide at intersection
123  Cutting corner on bend
124  Cutting corner at intersection
125  On straight section
126  Vehicle crossed raised median
127  Driving or riding abreast (cyclists more than 2 abreast)
128  Wandering or wobbling
129  Too far left/right
130  Lost Control
131  When turning
132  Under heavy braking
133  Under heavy acceleration
134  While returning to seal from unsealed shoulder
135  Due to road conditions: (requires road series code)
136  Due to vehicle fault (requires vehicle series code)
137  Avoiding another vehicle, pedestrian, party or obstacle on roadway
138  On unsealed road
139  End of seal
140 Failed to Signal in Time
141  When moving to left, pulling over to left
142  When turning left
143  When pulling out or moving to the right
144  When turning right
145  Incorrect Signal
150 Overtaking
151  Overtaking line of traffic or queue
152  Deliberately in the face of oncoming traffic
153  Failed to notice oncoming traffic
154  Misjudged speed or distance of oncoming traffic
155  At no passing line
156  With insufficient visibility
157  At an intersection without due care
158  On left without due care
159  Cut in after overtaking
160  Vehicle signalling right turn
161  Without care at a pedestrian crossing
170  Wrong Lane/Turned From Wrong Position
171  Turned right from incorrect lane
172  Turned left from incorrect lane
173  Travelled straight ahead from turning lane or flush median
174  Turned right from left side of road
175  Turned left from near centre line
176  Turned into incorrect lane
177  Weaving or cut in on multi-lane roads
178  Moved left to avoid slow vehicle
179  Motor vehicle in cycle lane
180 In Line of Traffic
181  Following too closely
182  Travelling unreasonably slowly
183  Motorist crowded cyclist
190  Sudden Action
191  Braked
192  Turned left
193  Turned right
194  Swerved to avoid pedestrian
195  Swerved to avoid animal
196  Swerved to avoid crash or broken down vehicle
197  Swerved to avoid vehicle
198  Swerved to avoid object or for unknown reason
200 Forbidden Movements
201  Wrong way in one way street, motorway or roundabout
202  When turning or U turning contrary to a sign
203  Contrary to “in” or “out” only driveway sign
204  Driving or Riding on Footpath
205  On incorrect side of island or median
206  Contrary to “no entry” sign
207  In Car Park

Vehicle Conflicts

300 Failed to Give Way
301  At Stop Sign
302  At Give Way Sign
303  When Turning to Non-turning traffic
304  When deemed turning by markings, not geometry
305  When turning left, to opposing right turning traffic
306  To pedestrian on a crossing
307  When turning at signals to pedestrians
308  When entering roadway from driveway
309  To traffic approaching or crossing from the right
310  Failed to Give way at one lane bridge/road
311  Failed to give way to pedestrian on footpath or verge
312  Entering roadway not from driveway or intersection
320 Did not Stop
321  At stop sign
322  At steady red light
323  At steady red arrow
324  At steady amber light
325  At steady amber arrow
326  At flashing red lights (Rail Xing, Fire Stn etc)
327  For police or flag-person
328  For school patrol/kea Xing
330 Inattentive: Failed to Notice
331  Car slowing, stopping or stopped in front
332  Bend in road
333  Indication of vehicle in front
334  Traffic lights
335  Intersection or its Stop/Give Way control
336  Other regulatory sign/markings
337  Warning sign
338  Direction, information signs/markings
339  Road-works signs
340  Lane use arrows/markings?
341  Obstructions on Roadway
350 Attention Diverted By:
351  Passengers
352  Scenery or persons outside vehicle
353  Other traffic
354  Animal or insect in vehicle
355  Trying to find intersection, house number, destination
356  Advertising or signs
357  Emotionally upset
358  Cigarette, radio, glove box etc
359  Cell phone or communications device
360  Driver dazzled
370 Did not see or look for another party until too late
371  Behind when reversing / manoeuvring
372  Behind when changing lanes position or direction (includes U-turns
373  Behind when pulling out from parked position
374  Behind when opening door or leaving vehicle
375  When required to give way to traffic from another direction
376  When required to give way to pedestrians
377  When visibility obstructed by other vehicles
378  When visibility limited by roadside features
379  When first in queue on receiving green light
380 Misjudged speed, distance, size or position of:
381  Other vehicle coming from behind or alongside
382  Other vehicle coming from another direction with right of way
383  Pedestrian movement or intention
384  Towed vehicle, or while towing a vehicle
385  Size or position of fixed object or obstacle
386  Of own vehicle
387  Misjudged intentions of another party

General Driver

400 Inexperience
401  in driving in fast, complex or heavy traffic
402  New driver showed inexperience
403  Driving strange vehicle
404  Overseas driver fails to adjust to local conditions
405  Driver under instruction
406  At towing trailer / other vehicle
407  Driver over-reacted
408  Unsupervised cyclist
410 Fatigue (Drowsy, Tired, Fell Asleep)
411  Long trip
412  Lack of sleep
413  Exhaust fumes
414  Worked long hours before driving
415  Exceeded driving hours
420 Incorrect use of vehicle controls
421  Started in gear
422  Stalled engine
423     Wrong pedal
424  Footrest, stand
425  Ignition turned off (steering locked)
426  Lights not switched on
427  Foot slipped
428  Parking brake not fully applied
429  Trailer coupling or safety chain not secured
430 Showing Off
431  Racing
432  Playing Chicken
433  Wheel spins/wheelies/doughnuts etc
434  Intimidating Driving
440  Parked or Stopped
441  Inadequately lit at night: (not lit by street lights or park lights off)
442  At point of limited visibility
443  Not as close as practicable to side of road
444  On incorrect side of road
445  Double parked
446  In ‘No Stopping’ area
447  Not Clear of rail crossing

General Person

500 Illness and Disability
501  Illness with no warning e.g. heart attack, unexpected epilepsy)
502  Physically disabled
503  Defective vision
504  Medical illness (not sudden) flu, diabetes
505  Mental illness (depression, psychosis)
506  Suicidal (but not successful)
507  Impaired ability due to old age
510 Intentional or Criminal
511  Deliberate homicide (only if succeeded)
512  Intentional collision
513  Committed suicide (only if succeeded)
514  Evading enforcement
515  Object deliberately thrown at or dropped on vehicle/shot at
516  Object thrown from vehicle
517  Stolen vehicle
520 Driver/Passenger, Boarding, Joining, In Vehicle
521  Boarding moving vehicle
522  Intentionally leaving moving vehicle
523  Riding in insecure position
524  Interfered with driver
525  Opened door inadvertently
526  Overloaded vehicle (with passengers)
527  Child playing in parked vehicle
530  Miscellaneous Person
531  Casualty drowned
532  Casualty thrown from vehicle
533  Equestrian not keeping to verge
534  Cyclist or M/cyclist wearing dark clothing

Vehicles

600 Lights and Reflectors at Fault or Dirty
601  Dazzling headlights
602  Headlights inadequate or no headlights
603  Headlights failed suddenly
604  Brake-lights or indicators faulty or not fitted
605  Tail-lights inadequate or no tail-lights
606  Reflectors inadequate or no reflectors
607  Lights or reflectors obscured
610 Brakes
611  Parking brake failed
612  Parking brake defective
613  Service brake failed
614  Service brake defective
615  Jack-knifed
620 Steering
621  Defective
622  Failed suddenly
630 Tyres
631  Puncture or blowout
632  Worn tread on tyre
633  Incorrect tyre type
634  Mixed treads/space savers
640 Windscreen or Mirror
641  Shattered windscreen
642  Windscreen or rear window dirty
643  Rear vision mirror not adjusted correctly
644  No rear vision mirror
645  Windscreen, or rear window misted/ frosted
646  Inadequate or no sun-visors
647  Inadequate or no windscreen wipers
648  Cycle/Motorcycle visor, glasses, goggles or screen
650 Mechanical
651  Engine failure
652  Transmission failure (including chains and gears)
653  Accelerator or throttle jammed
660 Body or Chassis
661  Body, chassis or frame (cycle, m/c) failure
662  Suspension failure
663  Failure of door catch or door not shut
664  Inadequate mudguards
665  Inadequate tow coupling
666  Inadequate or no safety chain
667  Bonnet catch failed
668  Wheel off
669  Broken axle
670  Inconspicuous colour
671  Blind spot
672  Seat belt/restraint failed
673  Air-bag failed to inflate (fully)
680 Load
681  Load interferes with driver
682  Not well secured or load moved
683  Over-hanging
684  Load obscured vision
685  Excess dimensions not adequately indicated
686  Overdimension vehicle or load
687  Load too heavy
688  Towed vehicle or trailer too heavy or incompatible
690 Miscellaneous Vehicle
691  Emergency Vehicle attending emergency
692  Vehicle caught fire
693  Being towed
694  Air-bag contributed to crash or injury
695  Seatbelt/restraint absent or unusable
696  Dangerous goods

Pedestrians

700 Walking along Road
701  Not keeping to footpath
702  Not keeping to side of road
703  Not facing oncoming traffic
704  Not on outside of blind curve
710 Crossing Road
711  Walking heedless of traffic
712  Stepping out from behind vehicles
713  Running heedless of traffic
714  Failed to use pedestrian crossing when one within 20 metres
715  Waiting on roadway for moving traffic
716  Confused by traffic or stepped back
717  Suddenly stepped onto pedestrian crossing
718  Not complying with traffic signals or school patrols
719  Misjudged speed and/or distance of vehicle
720  Miscellaneous
721  Pushing, working on or unloading vehicle
722  Playing on road or unnecessarily on road
723  Working on road
724  Wearing dark clothing
725  Vision obscured by umbrella or clothing
726  Child escaped from supervision
727  Unsupervised child
728  Sitting/lying on road
729  Pedestrian from School bus
730  Pedestrian behind reversing/manoeuvring vehicle
731  Overseas pedestrian

Road

800 Slippery
801  Rain
802  Frost or ice
803  Snow or hail
804  Loose material on seal
805  Mud
806  Oil/Diesel/Fuel
807  Painted markings
808  Recently graded
809  Surface bleeding/defective
810 Surface
811  Potholed
812  Uneven
813  Deep loose metal
814  High crown
815  Curve not well banked
816  Edge badly defined or gave way
817  Under construction or maintenance
818  Unusually narrow
819  Broken glass
820 Obstructed
821  Fallen tree or branch
822  Slip or subsidence
823  Flood waters, large puddles, ford
824  Road works not adequately lighted
825  Road works not adequately signposted
826  Roadside Object fell on vehicle
827  Object flicked up by vehicle
830 Visibility Limited
831  Curve
832  Crest
833  Building
834  Trees
835  Hedge or fence
836  Scrub or long grass
837  Bank
838  Temporary obstruction, dust or smoke
839  Parked vehicle
840 Signs and Signals
841  Damaged, removed or malfunction
842  Badly located
843  Ineffective or inadequate
844  Necessary
845  Signals turned off
850  Markings
851  Faded
852  Difficult to see under weather conditions
853  Markings necessary
854  Not visible due to geometry or vehicles
855  Old markings not adequately removed
860 Street Lighting
861  Failed
862  Inadequate
863  Glare on wet road
864  Pedestrian crossing not adequately lighted
870 Raised Islands and Roundabouts
871  Traffic Island(s) difficult to see
872  Traffic Island(s) ineffective, badly located or designed
873  Cyclist squeeze point

Miscellaneous

900 Weather
901  Heavy rain
902  Dazzling sun
903  Strong wind
904  Fog or mist
905  Snow, sleet or hail
910 Animals
911  Household pet rushed out or playing
912  Farm animal straying
913  Farm animal attended, but inadequate warning or unexpected
914  Farm animal attended, but out of control
915  Wild animal
920 Entering or Leaving Land Use
921  Roadside Stall
922  Service Station
923  Specialised Liquor outlet
924  Take away foods
925  Shopping Complex
926  Car parking building/area
927  Other commercial
928  Industrial Site
929  Private house/farm
930  Other non-commercial
931  Mobile shop or Vendor
980 Unconverted old codes (not used after 1998)
977  Old 920: Equestrian
978  Old 950: Miscellaneous
979  Old 960: Special Codes
981  Old 131: Swinging wide on bend or intersection
982  Old 138: Lost control – head on collision
983  Old 147: When changing lanes
984  Old 157: Cut in
985  Old 188: At steady red/amber arrows
986  Old 225: Wrong way in one way street or other forbidden movement
987  Old 235: Misjudged speed of other vehicle
988  Old 236: Misjudged distance, size or position of vehicle
989  Old 238: In controlling skid
990  Old 273: Defective vision or illness (not sudden)
991  Old 503: In face of traffic
992  Old 504: Opened door in path of another party
993  Old 512: Interfered with driver or overloaded vehicle
994  Old 737: Physical defect or old age
995  Old 738: Unattended child
996  Old 952: Suicide
997  Old 400: Specific Cyclist Faults
998  Old 930: Bicycle Faults
999  Unknown

Page updated: 22 July 2005