WHAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME TO DRIVE?

Do you know the days and times when you’re most likely to be in a car accident? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), your chances of being in an automobile accident increase during periods when there are more cars on the road. This includes rush hour during the work week—typically 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, the summer months,
especially August, when large numbers of people drive to vacation destinations, and the holidays when people are traveling to see family and friends. In addition, any time there is inclement weather, your chances of being in an automobile accident increase dramatically.

Historically, the worst day of the week for accidents—especially fatal car accidents—is Saturday, followed closely behind by Friday. Again, there are more people on the road on Saturday than any other day of the week. In addition, there are more drunk drivers on the road during the weekend. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 31% of fatal drunk-
driving accidents occur on the weekend, especially between the hours of midnight and 3 am. Though more accidents occur during rush hour, fatal accidents are four times higher at night than during the day.

So, what does this all mean to you and me?

It helps for us all to remember to be particularly cautious when driving during high traffic times. Unfortunately, those are usually the times when we are most eager to get where we’re going and more likely to take risks to maneuver around traffic. But it’s definitely better to take our time and to take extra precautions to avoid an accident.

We all know to be cautious during inclement weather—especially after the recent winter mix that hit our area. But winter weather isn’t typically a problem here in North Texas. What is a
problem this time of year as we head into spring is thunderstorms, hail, and even tornadoes. And since North Texans seem to have trouble driving after a refreshing summer shower, we
should all be particularly vigilant when there is any amount of precipitation in the weather forecast.

And, of course, now that the holidays are over and most people don’t take vacations in the middle of January, it’s easy to think that we can let our guards down a bit. But did you know
that St. Patrick’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday are right up there with all the other dangerous holidays? That’s because those are big drinking days. As a matter of fact, an NHTSA study
conducted on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010 found that alcohol-related crashes claimed a life every 51 minutes. That was 32% of all fatalities that occurred that day.

So, what is your most dangerous time to drive? Any time you drink and drive, you dramatically increase your risk of being in a car accident. In addition, when the number of alcohol-impaired
drivers on the road increases, your crash risk increases as well. Always consider the possible repercussions when you drive on days when people—including you—are most likely to drink.

And remember, if you are in an accident, come to Accident and Injury Chiropractic where we’ll take great care of you and have you back on the road as soon as possible. There’s an office
conveniently located near you.

Oh, and by the way, historically, the safest day and time to be on the road is Sunday between the hours of midnight and 3:00 am. But I’m willing to bet most of us are consistently at home
snuggled in our beds at that time of the day and week!