Nose-to-tail accidents — usually caused by tailgating, distraction or impatience — continue to be Perth’s most common car collisions.

And it is the city’s eastern suburbs where they are most prevalent.

According to a national analysis of car accident claims by insurer AAMI, one-third of all Perth accidents (33.14 per cent) were the result of drivers running up the back of the car in front.

AAMI spokesman Jake Krausmann said this often occurred when travelling too close to the car in front.

“We have busy lives and daily schedules but tailgating the car in front usually won’t get you to your destination any faster,” he said.

“You should always be prepared for the unexpected. If the car in front stops unexpectedly, you want to ensure you have enough room to brake safely.

“There’s a general two-second rule for following the car in front but the more room you leave, the better.”

According to the RAC’s 2014 mobility bulletin, an alert driver will take one second to react to an emergency. At 50km/h, the vehicle would travel 13m in that time. If the driver applied the brakes after that one second, it would take another 15m for the car to stop — making the total “reaction distance” of 28m.

The AAMI analysis found that collisions with stationary objects — including parked cars, trees and street signs —were also common in Perth (30.34 per cent of all claims), particularly in the inner suburbs, Fremantle and south-west suburbs.

It was followed by failure to give way (20.09 per cent) and colliding while reversing (13.84 per cent). The analysis related to accidents between August last year and August this year.

Nationally, almost four in five (79.2 per cent) insurance claims related to accidents within 25km of the driver’s home.

“Regardless of how familiar a driver is with their local roads, it doesn’t dilute the importance of safe driving behaviours,” Mr Krausmann said.

As part of the analysis, AAMI surveyed 4090 drivers and found only one in five considered themselves to be an impatient driver. But almost 60 per cent admitted exceeding the speed limit.

“With nearly one in three attributing their speed to taking their eye off the speed limit, it reinforces that concentration is key,” Mr Krausmann said.