Driving is dangerous, and no one wants to get into a crash. Trying to reduce your risk on the road can mean different things to different people. Some people invest in vehicles with excellent safety ratings, while other people employ defensive driving tactics. A combination of both practices is probably the safest option.
One of the ways to help keep yourself safe while driving is to avoid high-risk locations and situations. Staying off the road at times that are statistically more dangerous, for example, could greatly reduce the possibility of you or someone you love suffering significant injuries in a motor vehicle crash.
What time of day is the most dangerous for drivers?
What do you think is the most dangerous time of day on the road? If you guessed 2 a.m., when the bars close, you’d be wrong. If you guessed rush hour when everyone’s heading home from work, you were right!
According to the National Safety Council, based on an analysis of crashes reported in 2018, the most dangerous time of day is from 4 p.m. to 7:59 p.m. However, it’s worth noting that the day of the week has a major impact on the level of late-night risk for drivers.
After midnight on Friday or Saturday is a much more dangerous time than the same hours on a Tuesday. Seasonal changes also matter. Evenings are more dangerous in the summer than in the fall and in winter.
What days of the week are the most dangerous?
Although more people have to commute to work on weekdays, the weekends hold the title for most dangerous days of the week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday have more crashes per day than Monday through Thursday.
Obviously, you can’t just avoid driving during high-traffic times of day or more dangerous seasons. Instead, knowing the ebb and flow of periodic risk can help you make informed decisions about your driving habits. You can also invest in good insurance coverage and educate yourself so that you know what to do if you do wind up hurt in a collision.
