Your risk on the road constantly fluctuates. Everything from the density of vehicles on a section of road to the weather conditions will influence your likelihood of getting into a crash.
There are certain factors that increase your risk. Some of them are personal factors, like your fatigue level and sobriety. Others are environmental, meaning that you won’t have much or any control over them. You can still make driving decisions that can keep your risk of a wreck lower.
Understanding when your potential for a crash is the highest can help you make strategic decisions that keep you a little bit safer out on the road. For example, minimizing your time on the road at times when your statistical risk is at its highest could help you avoid a collision. When are you most likely to get into a wreck according to crash statistics?
2 times of the day are particularly dangerous
Crashes can occur at any time, but the National Safety Council notes that the night is when the most and worst crashes typically occur. Reduced visibility, exhaustion, unpredictable animal crossings and the increased presence of impaired drivers all contribute to nighttime road risk. Minimizing how much you drive after the sun goes down is a way to reduce your statistical risk.
Even if you never drive late at night because you keep the first-shift schedule, you could still be at risk during the second-most dangerous time of day. The afternoon rush hour between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays is also a particularly risky time to be on the road.
Recognizing when your risk is the highest can help you potentially avoid getting into a motor vehicle crash. If a wreck does happen, make sure you take the appropriate steps to protect your legal interests.