The most common contributory factor assigned to pedal cyclists and other vehicles was ‘failed to look properly’. This is commonly referred to as the ‘looked but failed to see’ problem in road safety literature or SMIDSY (Sorry Mate I Didn't See You). This may be particularly common where pedal cycles and motorcycles are concerned as they are smaller and easier for motorists to miss when looking around the road. In 2013, 23 per cent of pedal cyclists involved in accidents ‘failed to look properly’ whereas half of other vehicles involved in accidents also failed to look properly.
The second most common contributory factor assigned to both pedal cyclists and other vehicles was ‘failed to judge other person’s path or speed’. In 2013, 17 per cent of other vehicles involved in accidents failed to judge other person’s path or speed, in comparison to only 10 per cent of pedal cyclists.