By Chris Ward, July 27, 2017
Driving a car is somewhat a right of passage. It gives a person a measure of independence, and yet it can be one of the riskiest things someone does every day. I hear you exclaim! But, I haven’t been in a car accident for years. Is it really that dangerous? Well, not to sound too extreme it is probably worth taking into account all of the statistics and factors to get a better understanding of why accidents on the road happen & what times.
According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the time of day has a lot to do with when fatal collisions occur. It is because night time simply makes driving more difficult due to visibility being reduced. It’s a simple fact, and yet it isn’t the only reason. Drink driving, speeding & driving without wearing a seatbelt are more likely to take place during the night than at any other time of the day.
Speeding on the Road
Speeding plays a big part in fatal car accidents, with it being a factor in 30% of fatalities, and according to NHTSA alcohol played a part in 18% of fatal car accidents during the day and 54% at night. So, what are the most dangerous times to drive a car? Well listed below they are:- Between the times of 5 pm and 7 pm, this is due to the amount of traffic on the roads due to the daily commute.
- Saturday tends to have the biggest number of fatal car crashes over any other day.
- Surprisingly, the month of August has a higher number of fatal road traffic accidents than any other month.
- For any single day, the 4th of July has the highest number of fatal car accidents than any other day.
- In 2007 the Thanksgiving holiday weekend was the deadliest weekend for driving a car.