Road fatalities are more likely at specific times on certain days, study says

Let’s says it’s a lovely Saturday afternoon in July at about 5 p.m., and you’re planning to leave the beach on Cape Cod and drive home.

Don’t.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration looking at the years between the years 2016 and 2020 and compiled in a study from Forbes Advisor, the most dangerous time to drive in Massachusetts is between 5 and 6 p.m.  The report said that 90 road accident fatalities occurred in that hour; the most dangerous day to drive in that state was Saturday (247 deaths), the most dangerous month was July (135).

The survey breaks downs fatalities by states, times, days and months. We looked at Massachusetts only as an example.

NHTSA results indicate that on average, the most dangerous time to drive in America is between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., on any Saturday during the year, and in October in general.  

On a daily basis, Saturdays were the most troublesome days for recorded road fatalities, with 25,907 — Saturday was the most dangerous day in a whopping 40 states. This compared to Fridays, with 23,247 deaths, and in third place were Sundays, 23,038. Forbes Advisor doesn't go into why weekends are so deadly, but it's probably reasonable to assume that more people are on the road enjoying these traditional days off, and perhaps have let their guard down as compared to a weekday commute. Drinking or other impairment could also be a greater factor on weekends.

Regarding monthly fatalities, October ranked first on a national level, with 13,566. July is the second deadliest month with 13,483 deaths, and September’s total of 13,404 is the third highest.  

A spokesperson for Forbes Advisor said: “Car accidents and fatalities can occur at any moment. However, this data makes clear that specific hours, days, or even months are more dangerous than others -- and this timing can differ considerably depending on what state you’re driving in.  

Forbes Advisor is an independent agency that reports on and promotes consumer financial products, including automobile insurance.

It's a sizable amount of information, amassed into a spreadsheet. If you want to check out the five-year results for your state, go to Forbes Advisor's article for the full report.