The Most Dangerous Days to Drive and How to Stay Safe

You may pride yourself on being the safest driver in the world — and perhaps you really are — but there’s very little you can do to control other drivers’ behavior. That’s why, in addition to being careful, considerate, and following the rules of the road, you need to always drive defensively. Among other things, this means anticipating other drivers’ moves and assuming that someone at some point will do something reckless or potentially deadly.

Another way to stay safe on the road is to avoid the road on certain days and times. While this technique is not always possible, if you can stay home until driving conditions calm down a bit, you’ll avoid a ton of frustration and a heap of trouble that’s just waiting to happen.

Below, you’ll discover the most dangerous times to get behind the wheel and get tips on how to enhance your and your passengers’ safety. Below are the days, times, and holidays that statistics show to be the deadliest for drivers.

Time of day

The evening commute is no surprise as it is a time when increased accidents happen. Rush hour — weeknights between 3 pm to 6 pm is the most dangerous time on the road. Even with many still working remotely post-pandemic, this period still sees more drivers, more congestion, more frayed tempers, and, as a result, more collisions. One caveat: the most dangerous time of the day for fatal accidents is Saturday night between 9 pm and midnight, based on data from the NHTSA. This makes sense when you consider that this is when more DUI arrests are likely to happen, as alcohol consumption plays a major part in these traffic fatalities.

Below is a breakdown of how many crashes occur on each day of the week and how many fatalities occur annually:

Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts 2019: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data

Day

That would be…Friday based on data from the NHTSA. The agency reports that there were 1,152,000 total crashes reported on this day in 2019. You’ve got the same high volume of drivers on the road who are anxious to get home from work. (Some may even have joined their colleagues for a quick happy hour drink before getting behind the wheel.) In addition to tired commuters, you also have more cars on the road as people head out to start their weekend away.

Month

According to the report, October proves to be the worst month for auto accidents. Several factors contribute to the tenth month being the deadliest. The change from cold to warm brings people outside to enjoy the great outdoors. In particular, summer and fall are great times to take advantage of outdoor activities. May through October are the months with the most vehicle miles traveled. The unfortunate aspect of having so many cars on the road during the warmer months is a correlation to road fatalities. The more cars on the road, the more fatalities.

Travel tip - In 2021, the month with the lowest travel on urban highways was January.

Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts 2019: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data

Night Driving

Driving at night is generally more dangerous than driving during the day. As per the National Safety Council (NSC), while only 25 percent of driving happens at night, night driving accounts for 50 percent of fatal accidents. Obviously, visibility is reduced when driving at night, but the danger extends beyond darkness.

Risk factors regarding night driving include:

• Aging population: As the U.S. population ages, more drivers could be on the road with night vision issues, a common problem in older people.
• More impaired drivers: The number of people driving while under the influence of alcohol increases at night.
• Increased fatigue: Those driving at night, especially in the early morning hours, are more likely to report driving while fatigued. The NSC reports that losing two hours of sleep is equivalent to having three beers before getting behind the wheel. Driving when tired lessens reaction time, but the greatest danger lies in falling asleep at the wheel.
• LED headlights: In recent years, the number of pedestrian accident fatalities at night has risen dramatically. While the reasons for this increase are not certain, one strong possibility is that LED headlights, which have replaced halogen headlights in newer vehicles, are blinding vision for oncoming cars and making it harder to see people walking along the roadway. While “adaptive” headlights, long legal in Europe, are now available on U.S. vehicles, it will take years for the technology to catch up enough to make a difference on streets and highways.

Holiday

Independence Day: Our nation’s birthday wins the prize for the deadliest driving day, with alcohol and congested roads being the key factors. From 2011 to 2021, an average of 2,743 deaths occurred every year on July 4. Coming in a close second is July 3 since many Americans take to the highways to visit family and friends and celebrate the holiday.

Labor Day Weekend: Many of the accident fatalities in September happened over the long holiday weekend for the same reasons as July 4.

Thanksgiving: This is one of the busiest travel times of the year in the US. The Wednesday preceding Turkey Day sees the highest volume of traffic as many Americans head home for the holiday.

When heading home, avoid traveling on Black Friday, if possible. Saturday is a better choice to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend than waiting until Sunday. That’s when another major rush occurs, as many people visiting relatives over the weekend want to get back to home, work, and school that day to prepare for Monday’s regular schedule.

Christmas: Inclement weather, stressed-out shoppers, seething parking lots, and aggressive drivers all contribute to making “the most wonderful time of the year” also one of the most dangerous times to be on the roads.

New Year’s Day: The day after New Year’s Eve ranks in the top five deadliest driving days of the entire year. According to the NHTSA (and no big surprise), the first day of the year has the highest number of alcohol-related traffic deaths.

Avoid the Danger

While the information above may have you planning on never taking your car out of the garage again, rest assured you don’t have to give up driving. There are tips and tricks to help you avoid the busiest times on the road. Use apps such as Waze or Google Maps to figure out the optimal time to set out. Ask your boss if you can work from home or follow a flextime schedule or consider sharing your ride so you can take advantage of the carpool lane.

And if you absolutely have to get out there when the going’s tough, remembering a few simple pointers will help keep you and your passengers safe.

• Don’t start the car until everyone has buckled up.
• Remove the temptations (smartphones) that cause distracted driving
• Make sure your headlights and brake lights are working
• Obey speed limits and signs
• During the holidays, alcohol is more prevalent, so if you are planning to drink, designate a driver and never get behind the wheel after drinking.
• Pull over if you’re tired on a long drive

Quick Tips for Safety

Always keep your vehicle well-maintained to reduce the odds of experiencing road issues. Along with checking the oil, transmission, brakes, and radiator fluids, ensure that your tires are inflated properly. For best results, check your tires when they are cold, and the vehicle has not been driven in at least three hours.

Make sure your car contains an emergency kit in case of a road breakdown. The kit should include jumper cables, a phone charger, a tire repair device, a battery-operated radio, and a flashlight.

Keep your gas tank relatively full. If you drive an electric car, keep the battery charged. Minimize battery drain by plugging the car in at night, especially when it is cold.

Make sure your wiper blades work, and fill the gas tank before heading out. Pack an emergency kit containing jumper cables, flares, tire repair devices, and a battery-powered radio.

Don’t neglect annual vision checkups. Tell your eye doctor about any vision problems you experience with night driving. If diagnosed with cataracts, ask your doctor about any limitations regarding driving at night. Cataracts can cause increased glare sensitivity, blurred vision, and a decreased ability to recognize contrast and see in low-level light.