Studies: Most Dangerous Times to Drive

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

The sheer volume of car accidents that take place due to distracted and intoxicated driving incidents is astounding, but studies reveal other factors that contribute greatly to overwhelming crash statistics, such as certain times of the day. For example, experts have revealed that traveling during specific times of day or during certain window periods tends to increase our chances of collision, as those times tend to represent peak accident incidences.

High Risk Driving Time Trends

So, what times of day are considered the most dangerous times to drive, and what does that mean for our daily transportation routines? Should we attempt to work around these peak collision times to avoid accident and injury, or does prevention simply begin with good driving habits from the get-go? Forbes reported findings from a combination of sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, as well as Berkeley’s Traffic Safety Center from the University of California. Together, these studies uncovered the following:

• Weekends are responsible for the highest number of crash victims, as Saturdays and Sundays are typically the days with the most people on the roads.
• Mid-week days generally pose the lowest risk when it comes to accident fatalities. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in particular, are considered less risky, for example.
• Nighttime is riskier, in general, as speeding, driving under the influence, and driving without seat belts are all habits and behaviors that increase during nighttime hours. To put this into perspective, forty-nine percent of all fatal crashes have been found to happen at night, and fifty-four percent of nighttime crashes are alcohol-related.
• Not surprisingly, early morning hours, such as between 4 and 5 a.m. pose less risk, as these hours experience significantly less traffic.
• The first day after a major snowfall is a particularly dangerous time to be on the roads. Berkeley’s Traffic Safety Center discovered that the first snow day of the winter season is fourteen percent more likely to prompt fatal crashes than any subsequent days that follow the initial snowfall.

Understandably, many of these findings point to some simple conclusions: the worse the weather conditions, the greater the number of distracted drivers, and the larger the level of congestion on the roadways all mean greater risk for those operating vehicles. If you have been hurt in a collision due to any of the factors discussed here, do not wait to protect your rights. Talk with a knowledgeable Lake County car accident attorney right away. Call Salvi & Maher, LLP at 847-662-3303 today for a personal consultation.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/car-accident-times-forbeslife-cx_he_0121driving.html