When Are the Safest and Most Dangerous Times to Drive?

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Driving Safety

Over the years, countless studies and surveys have been compiled investigating the patterns that lead to the most car accidents and injuries on our roadways. Safety experts, authorities, and roadway engineers alike all benefit from such statistics, as these facts help paint a vivid picture of what the true hazards are out on the highways, allowing us all to better understand how and where we can work to prevent fatal collisions and life-changing injuries.

Common Collision Predictors

Out of the many studies that have been conducted on the causes behind car crashes, however, specific factors have emerged that are proven to be consistent predictors of collision. Nearly all of these factors are somehow related to dangerous driving behaviors, although others are simply tied to natural hazards, such as bad weather and the elements. Most often, though, it is a combination of these factors that ultimately leads to an increase in accident and injury incidences.

Here are a few trends that reveal some of the safest and most dangerous time to drive, and why they play such a role in accident patterns nationwide:

Time of day - Studies show that a host of unsafe driving behaviors tend to increase during nighttime hours, such as speeding, intoxicated driving, driving without seatbelts and other risky behaviors. Alcohol plays a role in both daytime and nighttime crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For example, 54 percent of nighttime crashes were found to be attributed to intoxicated driving, yet during the day, impaired driving was still responsible for 18 percent of all fatal crashes.

Time of week - Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been found to present the lowest risk for accident, injury, and fatality, particularly in the morning hours. The hours between 4 and 5 a.m., although still dangerous due to intoxicated drivers, revealed the lowest crash data due to low peak traffic patterns. In comparison, weekends were reported to be the most dangerous time to be on the road, with some of the highest crash statistics due to higher volume traffic.

Weather conditions - Rain, snow, and ice are not surprisingly contributors to crash patterns, but the safest and most dangerous times to drive under these weather conditions have a lot to do with when and how the conditions unfold. For example, driving in the rain is most dangerous within the very first 10 minutes after the rainfall begins. Roads are especially slippery at this time, due to oil from vehicles mixing with the oil on the asphalt. The same idea applies to ice and snow; it is typically shortly after the first initial snowfall when roads are most dangerous, as the snow just begins to accumulate and stick.

Whether you have been involved in a fender bender due to rush hour traffic or have been seriously injured due to an intoxicated driver, it is crucial to contact a  Lake County car accident attorney right away, no matter what time of day your accident took place. Call Salvi & Maher, LLP for a personal consultation at 847-662-3303 and make sure your rights are protected immediately after the collision.

Sources:

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

https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/buses/UpdatedWeb/topic_8/page5.html

https://weather.com/news/weather/news/are-snow-flurries-more-dangerous-for-drivers-than-snowstorms