New research has revealed which times of day are most dangerous for driving, in terms of the risk of having an accident.
The actual time it’s most dangerous to drive is the first 10 minutes after 5pm. It’s when many road users are perilously determined to get home from work. Add to that the sheer volume of cars taking to the road, and the risks are self-evident.
Of course, rush hour is any time between four and six in the evening. Yet the figures show that one in six prangs during that two-hour period happen within this 10-minute window. That’s 16 percent of accidents within an 8.3 percent window of time. Leaving just 10 minutes later can, according to AX research, halve your chances of being involved in an incident.
School-run troubles
The second most dangerous time to drive is during the school-run period, between 2pm and 4pm, when 16.04 percent of accidents happen. This compares with 17.47 percent for between 4pm and 6pm.
Between 3pm and 3:10 is the second most dangerous window. That’s unsurprising, with cars flooding the roads on the way to and from picking up young ones. No doubt, some of those young ones will be provide a significant distraction from the job of driving, too…
“It is little surprise to see the majority of accidents take place during the afternoon and evening hours when many of us are busy trying to get home or rushing to pick up our kids,” said Scott Hamilton-Cooper, director of sales and operations at AX.
Treacherous conditions
Of course, existing dangers are only exacerbated when things get dark and slippery. As such, accident rates are reported to rise around 7.4 percent during the winter months.
Rear-end collisions make up 34 percent of traffic incidents during winter. Keep a sensible gap between you and the car in front, as stopping distances increase markedly in cold conditions.