The accident caused directly by someone being tired, distracted or intoxicated is called a

• A. Personal factor cause
• B. Environmental factor cause
• C. Mechanical failure
• D. Systemic failure

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that accidents driven directly by a person’s state—being tired, distracted, or intoxicated—are categorized as a personal factor. These conditions are attributes of the individual performing the task and directly affect their performance at the moment of the incident. That makes the root cause a personal factor.

Environmental factors involve external conditions, like weather or lighting, that influence safety but are not the person themselves. Mechanical failure points to a fault in the equipment or its maintenance. Systemic failure refers to flaws in policies, training, or organizational culture that increase risk. An accident can involve multiple contributors, but when the immediate trigger is the person’s state, it’s best described as a personal factor cause.