‘Hit in rear’ tops list of most common road incidents across UK as EV trends emerge

New analysis by AX has revealed the most frequent types of road incidents among UK drivers, with rear-end collisions topping the list, accounting for 22.45% of all recorded accidents.

The research from the accident aftercare specialist showed that the second most common incident was being hit whilst parked (unattended), representing 21.80% of all accidents. Vehicles are often damaged while stationary in car parks, residential areas or on narrow urban streets.

When broken down by fuel type, EVs are most likely to be involved in incidents while parked and unattended (25.14%), higher than any other vehicle category. However, they fare slightly better than petrol and diesel vehicles when it comes to rear-end collisions (21.39%, compared to 22.29% for diesel and 23.45% for petrol).

The findings from tens of thousands of incidents (mostly third-party fault accidents) offer a detailed look at the differing risk profiles for diesel, petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles, revealing how driving habits, vehicle types and technologies are affecting road safety.

Together, rear-end collisions and being hit whilst parked make up almost half of all recorded accidents, emphasising how many collisions occur when vehicles are either stationary or in slow-moving traffic.

Nearly a third of EV accidents can be accounted for when combining hit whilst parked ‘unattended’ with hit whilst parked ‘attended’ (31.80%) – significantly more than any other powertrain. This could reflect higher urban usage and busier parking environments or unfamiliarity among drivers and third parties with parking technologies which are more common in EVs.

On the road, EVs appear slightly less prone to rear-end collisions (21.39%) than their petrol (23.45%) and diesel (22.29%) counterparts. However, EVs show proportionally higher roundabout accidents (7.30%) and third-party pulls from side roads (9.33%).

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Hybrid electric vehicles also show some unique risks, with the highest proportion of incidents involving a third party pulling from a side road (11.49%). Their mix of electric and combustion propulsion may influence driver behaviour at junctions.

Scott Hamilton-Cooper, Chief Commercial Officer at AX, said: “These findings reveal how driver behaviour and vehicle technology continue to evolve. It’s clear that while EVs bring benefits in terms of safety features and lower emissions, they also display unique patterns of risk.

“Understanding those nuances helps us not just to manage claims efficiently, but also to educate drivers about how best to prevent avoidable accidents. We have a wealth of data which we can present to our dealer, fleet and insurer partners to help them manage risk. But if an accident occurs, we ensure they remain mobile and that their vehicle is repaired and back on the road as soon as possible.”

Scott Hamilton Cooper,  Chief Commercial Officer at AX

As vehicle technology and EV uptake increases, AX’s insights play a key role in supporting safer driving, faster claims resolution and a better understanding of how Britain’s roads are changing.

AX is one of the UK’s leading accident aftercare specialists for private drivers, fleets, dealers and insurance companies. Together with its full incident management service, Motor Assist, it provides the most efficient mobility, repair and claims service in the sector.

Incident scenarios data by vehicle type