Many factors contribute to road hazards, but statistics show that some times are inherently more dangerous than others.
Research analyzed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week and August the most hazardous month of the year.
Annually, collisions claim over 40,000 lives in the United States and are the number one cause of death for those 34 and younger.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s spokesperson, the riskiest thing most of us do each day is drive our cars. Approximately 110 people are killed daily in accidents, but these crashes don’t generate media attention the way a train wreck or plane crash does.
The time when wrecks occur most often is relevant, as there are other dangerous factors that are compounded by darkness. There are more episodes of drunken driving, fewer uses of seat belts and more instances of excessive speed at night, which all increase the likelihood of fatalities.
During the daylight hours, 18 percent of fatal collisions are alcohol-related, but at night that figure jumps to 54 percent. More than 66 percent of those killed in accidents after dark had no safety belt on. The percentage is less than 50 percent during the day.
Statistically speaking, Americans are at least risk on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but as anyone who has lost a loved one to an auto accident will attest, fatal wrecks happen every day of the week. The increased driving Americans do on the weekend is one reason why those days are more deadly.
No matter when your car accident occurred, if you suffered injuries and sustained property damage, you can pursue a claim for the damages in civil court.
Source: Forbes, “Most Dangerous Times To Drive,” Hannah Elliott, accessed Oct. 16, 2015
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