Dangerous Times To Drive

Over the years a great deal of data has been collected on car crashes and with a little statistical analysis researchers can provide correlations that can increase driving safety. In this case we're going to look at various times when crashes are more likely to occur. This type of analysis can be a key piece of online drivers ed providing guidance for when to be extra careful.

The research quoted in this article comes from three sources - IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration), and AAA (American Automobile Association). These three organizations collect large amounts of data on driving incidents and provide the analysis to draw usable conclusions from that data. This data can be viewed as an infographic as well while this article points out a few of the more dangerous times for drivers.

The likelihood of being involved in a car crash can be mitigated by being aware of the dangerous times to drive.

If possible shift driving times from these dangerous times.

When driving during these dangerous times, maintain extra dilligence. Leave a little extra room around your car and pay close attention to surrounding drivers.

Some of the key points from the research:

• The highest number of fatal crashes per hour during the week occurs from 12am-1pm.
• On the weekend, the hour shifts to 9pm-10pm showing the largest number of fatal crashes.
• Friday appears to be the most dangerous day to drive, recording the largest number of crashes while Sunday is the safest.
• There are more crashes during the week versus the weekend, mainly due to the larger number of drivers on the road during those days.
• The higest injury rate occurs from 11pm-Midnight, meaning that drivers involved in a crash during those times are most likely to receive an injury of some type.
• The fatality rate is at its highest from Midnight-3am, indeed a dangerous time to drive.
• Night time driving restrictions for teens implemented in most states now have been responsible for a reduction in crashes of 60% during the restricted hours.

A few recommendations resulting from the study:

• Parents of teen drivers should be dilligent about enforcing night time restrictions. These have been proven effective everywhere they have been implemented.
• Weekend night driving is clearly among the most dangerous times to drive. So please recognize this fact and pay particular attention when driving during these times.
• Believe it or not, a key factor is still alcohol so either limit your alcohol consumption or use a designated driver.
• If at all possible, try to limit your driving during the most dangerous times. This is obviously difficult during your daily commute, but changing your driving times when possible can decrease the likelihood of being involved in a crash.

Bottom line is, patterns have emerged indicating dangerous times to drive. Knowing when you're driving during those times can help make you a safer driver.