Hit-and-run: why do drivers fail to stop after an accident? Contexts of incidents, driver motivations and preventative strategies

The study highlights the complexity of hit-and-run. The offences of fail to stop and report are generated in a range of circumstances, and a number motivational reasons for failing to stop or report an accident are observed. The findings also show that groups of motivational factors for leaving the scene can be identified and so can groups of hit-and-run drivers. The study is limited, as the sample group of drivers does not include some types of drivers observed in previous research (such as those involved in accidents where there is a fatality or where drivers are unlicensed). However, as both the postal survey and the driver interviews have covered a broad range of cases – from those where drivers were involved in accidents that do appear trivial to those where serious damage was caused – this does allow for a range of hit-and-run driver types to be identified. One might assume that in the majority of cases, the driver categories identified here will also broadly reflect many of the types of drivers who leave the scene but remain untraced. In addition, the driver interviews in tandem with the stakeholder interviews have also identified a number of potential preventative strategies. A challenge moving forward will be to identify which preventative strategies might potentially be implemented. Finally, further research might usefully try to build upon to data collected here by adding to the existing sample of cases. In particular, aiming to add drivers involved in the most serious cases – such as those where there was a fatality – would be a useful starting point.