You’ve heard that the weekends are the most dangerous time to be on the road, but you feel like it must be a mistake. After all, with everyone participating in that daily commute all week, wouldn’t weekdays see higher traffic levels, more congestion and more accidents?
There are risks that go along with road congestion and higher traffic levels, to be sure. However, the statistics show that the weekends still lead to more car accidents. One study examined the stats and ranked the days as follows, from the fewest crashes to the most:
- Tuesday: 4,455 annual crashes
- Wednesday: 4,508 annual crashes
- Monday: 4,603 annual crashes
- Thursday: 4,767 annual crashes
- Friday: 5,865 annual crashes
- Sunday: 6,007 annual crashes
- Saturday: 6,826 annual crashes
One thing that is interesting is that the days around the weekend even show an increase. Technically speaking, Monday and Thursday are weekdays, but they are both higher than the true midweek days of Tuesday and Wednesday.
What does this tell you? It could suggest that people taking a long weekend, adding a day off on either side, increase the risk.
The reasons for the higher risk are many, but some risk factors include night driving, drinking and driving and increased leisure travel. People are more likely to leave the house at night on the weekend, knowing they don’t have to get up early to work, and they’re more likely to take trips or hit up the bars.
It’s important to know when the most dangerous times to drive are, but avoiding them still doesn’t guarantee you’ll avoid accidents. Be sure you know your legal rights if you’re injured.
Source: National Motorists Association, “What Is The Most Dangerous Day Of The Week To Drive?,” accessed Nov. 17, 2017
