A new study has found that Friday is the day when the highest number of car crashes happen in the United Kingdom.
Direct Line Car Insurance provided an analysis of more than 700,000 traffic accidents, covering the period between 2011 and 2015, and they discovered that based on the findings, drivers are 14% more likely to be involved in a collision on a Friday than they would on any other day of the week, including weekends.
According to the results, a car crash is 7% more likely to happen on a Friday than on a Thursday, the second most common day for crashes. This figure rises when compared to other days, and in fact a car crash is a whopping 51% more likely to happen on a Friday than it is on a Sunday, generally the least likely day for a crash based on the results.
Breaking down the figures even further, the time of day when crashes are most likely to happen is the hour between 5pm and 6pm; 9% of all crashes during the week occur during this hour. As this is considered the rush hour, and on the final day of the working week, this is not too surprising, but it is still a real eye-opener for drivers rushing home at this time on a Friday.
Referring back to Sunday, this is the quietest day on the road due to there being fewer vehicles heading to work and school, which explains why there are 24% fewer crashes on this day of the week. A positive finding from the study is that the total number of car crashes dropped by 8% between 2011 and 2015, the years for which this study covered.
Gus Park, managing director at Direct Line Car Insurance, commented: “Towards the end of the week we are often tired, rushing to get home or away for the weekend, and this can lead to people not paying as much attention to the road conditions and their surroundings.
“It is important people remain vigilant every time they get behind the wheel – for their own safety and that of other road users.”
According to the study, the average daily number of road accidents in Britain were as follows: 397.1 car crashes on a Monday; 419.8 car crashes on a Tuesday; 419.1 car crashes on a Wednesday; 424.0 car crashes on a Thursday; 453.2 car crashes on a Friday; 363.3 car crashes on a Saturday; and finally 300.7 car crashes on a Sunday.
In addition, the Office for National Statistics figures for personal injury accidents that were reported to the police between 2011 and 2015 were also analysed for the research into this study.
The hope is that these results will have a positive influence on driver behaviour in the future, in particular the clear evidence that with almost 1/10 of accidents coming during the Friday evening rush hour, drivers may wish to be more careful when attempting to drive home without endangering themselves or other drivers and pedestrians.
If you been involved in a road traffic accident, Mackrell and Thomas could help you to claim the compensation that you deserve. Our team of expert personal injury advisors are here to offer confidential, no-obligation advice. Visit our road traffic accident page to learn more information.
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