When are the most dangerous times to be on the road?
Automobiles have become safer over the years, yet every time you get in a car, you're rolling the Reaper's dice. On average, 110 people die on the road each and every day. While many accident fatalities can be attributed to drinking and driving, not wearing a safety belt or reckless driving, some of the danger is compounded by the time of day people are on the road.
Forbes has compiled a litany of data showing which times are the the least safe to get behind the wheel, and the numbers are startling. For example, the most dangerous time of the day to drive is the afternoon rush hour. Between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m., there are an average of 6.6 deaths per hour in the US. While the afternoon wins on volume, the most dangerous time per driver on the road is between midnight and 4 a.m. According to the publication's findings, 5.87 people per 100 million on the road at this time never make it home. 36% of night time fatal accidents involve drunken driving, as opposed to 9% during daylight hours. Of the people killed on the road after midnight, 71% were found to not be wearing a safety belt, verses 55% during the day.
The study also took into account the top days to die in an auto accident. Despite a diminished rush hour, Saturday is the deadliest day of the week, with 158 fatalities per day. The most deadly month? August. Worst day of the year to be on the road? The Fourth of July, by far. And if you are making travel plans for the Thanksgiving weekend, take a plane. It's the most dangerous holiday weekend to be on the road. Hit the read link below to view the Forbes story in its entirety. It won't make you want to swear off driving, but it may make you think twice about when you drive.
[Source: Forbes]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tagg 7:10PM (1/23/2009)
Anytime between 2:00-3:00 and within sight of any American high school. It seems every male has to smoke the tires or on the winter try and drift as they pull out. The girls seem intent on texting either someone they spent the entire day with or talking the seven people in the back seat. Neither cares anyone else who may be driving by.
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Torrent 8:01PM (1/23/2009)
I agree. I got off work at 3:45 one day, and decided to come straight home. Hella teens were getting of school and crowding the streets like a plague. Some 16 or so year old girl texting while driving mangled my rear end at a stoplight. She claims I "appeared out of nowhere" I was still ordered to fix my own car by the court. Like I purposely hit reverse into the little girl's car or something.
Farris 9:37PM (1/23/2009)
Agreed. And to think... only 3 or 4 years ago, I was one of those teens that did that stupid stuff in the parking lot at the school. *hangs head in shame*
Jared 2:12PM (1/25/2009)
Whats even worse is the insurance companies charge those guys doing burnouts and wrecking their own car more a year for insurance then the girls who don't pay attention and wreck other people's cars...
A crazy world we live in, yes.
SimbaDogg 8:51PM (1/25/2009)
i still can't believe people can't seem to make wearing their safety restrainment system a good habit. shiet man, buckle up
Peter Rockwell 7:15PM (1/23/2009)
Man, that's one stout tree!
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imirk 7:32PM (1/23/2009)
Tree: 1
Renault: 0
Dr. Nick 1:53AM (1/25/2009)
The lack of intestinal fortitude of that Renault show you exactly how the Germans were able to walk all over the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys. GG Renault, thanks for playing!
MGBYG 7:17PM (1/23/2009)
Here in Orange County, CA, anytime between 4 a.m. to about 3.45 a.m is a bad time to drive. The other 15 minutes are so-so.
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Quattroporte 7:32PM (1/23/2009)
What's that following the van?
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Farris 9:10PM (1/23/2009)
Some type of boat-porta-potty... thing.
Serge K. 9:42PM (1/23/2009)
That "porta-potty" thing is most likely a bus stop (could be phone booth, but seems to big for that distance considering it's further away than the van).
However, "that" is not a boat, but rather a mini-trailer:
http://pricepi_i_polupricepi.furgon-info.ru/files/pricepi_i_polupricepi/gallery/e16e3fd6c4957e67063d9e96059b1a98.jpg
It still looks like it's traveling on its own; it's just too far behind the van.
Randy 10:25PM (1/23/2009)
It's a Duck Boat from the new local startup tour company!
"And on your left folks is a mock up accident of a Renault hitting a tree! Had the vehicle been of the US Safety regulation variety, the tree would be tooth pics" and on your right....
CH 3:08AM (1/26/2009)
The Hiace and the mini trailer are both parked on the curb. Had to look really good too, because it seemed to be following the van.
notYou 7:46PM (1/23/2009)
Wow, our highways are more lethal to US citizens than Iraq was to our military.
But let's not let the facts get in the way of prosecuting BushCo and keeping our local politicos and bureaucracies well fed.
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Will 11:02AM (1/26/2009)
The real cost is the to Iraqi citizens, who are experiencing a death toll similar to a "9/11" every week, for a country with a population several times smaller than our own. Then there are the millions of refugees from civil fighting and infrastructure destruction.
notYou 1:41PM (1/26/2009)
Will: "The real cost is the to Iraqi citizens, who are experiencing a death toll similar to a "9/11" every week, for a country with a population several times smaller than our own."
You forgot to mention that the Iraqi death toll is being perpetrated by their own, not the US (Sunni vs. Shea primarily with Iran and Al-Queda assistance).
But, like the New 'Bama Times, that goes without saying, doesn't it? We wouldn't want facts to get in the way of Change We Can Believe In.
A.R. 8:24PM (1/23/2009)
Even though statistically driving is 60 times more dangerous than flying, I'd rather drive if it's under 500 miles. Being in control feels good.
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Dan 8:36PM (1/23/2009)
With very nearly all traffic enforcement focussed on revenue instead of correcting dangerous driving this is hardly surprising.
If they spent half the time sending aggressive and distracted drivers to traffic school that they do sending unlucky speeders to the court cashier this problem would start to go away.
If they locked up drunk drivers and threw away the key it'd really start to go away.
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DasBoese 9:01PM (1/23/2009)
"When are the most dangerous times to be on the road?"
On a motorcycle... any time ;P
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