here is yet another example of studies that don’t realize that they make no sense. this is from the auto insurance industry.

Where Accidents Occur Most

Miles from home – Percentage of accidents

1 mile or less 23%
2 to 5 miles 29%
6 to 10 miles 17%
11 to 15 miles 8%
16 to 20 miles 6%
More than 20 miles 17%

please, let’s put this into perspective. every time you drive, no matter how far, at some point, you must be within one mile from home. if i drive across country or across town, at some point i must be one mile from home or less. every trip, every time. however, i am not always going to be 5 or 10 or 20 miles from home. if you were to add up the total number of driving trips you take each year and then list them by the furthest point you drove each time, the numbers would probably break down into the same percentage as those accident percentages above and on the link at the top.

this study makes it seem as if something strange is happening very close to home, and maybe it is. for example, some people start driving while they’re still getting their coffee, ipod, and seatbelt situated, or maybe they’re fiddling with the radio. i would guess that by the time we’ve driven one mile, everything is in place. still, as previously stated, every trip touches a mile or less. not every trip touches more.

have a nice day.