Commuting by road – accident awareness

Holding down a nine to five may be known as facing the daily grind, but getting to and from work presents a different kind of daily grind of its own. Most of us have a choice, of course. Bus. Rail. Car. Bicycle. Walking. But for those of us wishing to forgo the queues and delays in the rain via public transport, the option of queuing in delays in the rain by road beckons. Driving through early-morning sleepy eyes or after-work tired eyes is a sure-fire way to increase the possibility of a road accident. From a simple rear-end bump and passing scrapes to your car’s body work, to head-on collisions and even rollovers (speak to company like rollover accident lawyers for more info), accident awareness can help us all to make informed decisions about our driving habits.

What are the peak times for road accidents?

Although many of us do not have the option of flexi-time when it comes to choosing when to start work each day, knowing the facts can serve to heighten our vigilance and prevent road accidents. 

• Road accidents between 04:30AM – 07:00AM

This is the time of day at which the most road accidents tend to occur on rural roads and on bends in roads (people may believe that due to the early hour, they have the road to themselves, and fail to drive in the proper manner).

• Road accidents between 07:00AM and 09:00AM

Urban roads overtake rural roads in frequency of car accidents at this time (including a spike in accidents occurring at T-junctions).

• Road accidents between 16:00PM and 18:30PM

Despite what people may think about rush hour, accidents tend to occur more prevalently in slower speed zones.   

If you are travelling during these times, bear in mind the ‘hotspots’ for accidents in terms of which types of roads and which types of car crashes are more likely to take place.

Seasonal differences in traffic issues

Be aware that safe driving isn’t an open and closed book. The effectiveness of some safe driving tips are seasonal. For example, there is an old saying that you should try to work somewhere that means your commute is westwards, so as you are not driving into the sun. However, roads wind and bend and even if most of your route keeps the sun on your back, some of your journey is going to be blinding in Spring and Autumn when the sun is low in the sky at peak commuter hours. The tip here is to keep sunglasses in your car at all times.

Bonus tip – leave early and avoid the fast lane, because accidents caused by people who cannot see due to the low sun will be worse at higher speeds. Stay safe!