3 Times When Someone’s General Crash Risk Is the Highest

Drivers generally need to make safety a top priority if they want to avoid a crash. They need to constantly scan their surroundings for signs of danger. After all, people never know when an animal or a child might run into the street or when a semi-truck could jackknife on a freeway, suddenly blocking all lanes of traffic.

Constantly watching for risk factors and making smart choices about how one operates a motor vehicle can help reduce someone’s collision risk. Additionally, evaluating broad crash risks and the factors that connect them might help someone reduce their personal risk of being involved in an accident. Statistically, there are three times when someone’s general crash risk is particularly high. These are some of the most dangerous times to be on the road.

During the nighttime

Once the sun sets, the roads become significantly less safe. Animal activity, reduced visibility and an increased number of drunk drivers are all factors that make nighttime driving so dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, the nighttime is the most dangerous time to be on the road.

The weekday afternoon rush hour

People working a first shift job are often eager to get home after a long day on the job. They may also feel fatigued after a busy day at work. Heavy traffic, exhaustion and alcohol consumed at happy hour are all factors that make the weekday afternoon rush hour between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. a very dangerous time to be on the road.

Major holidays and the weekends that bookend them

When looking at the frequency of drunk driving collisions, holidays tend to have disproportionate representation. The holidays themselves and the weekend immediately before or after major holidays are when a large number of drunk driving fatalities occur every year. People heading home from celebrations may drive after drinking too much, with tragic results.

When people are aware that they are on the road during a particularly dangerous time to drive, they may be able to make decisions that keep them safer in traffic.