A comprehensive analysis of traffic accident data spanning five years in the United States reveals critical insights. The hour between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. poses the greatest risk for drivers, witnessing a staggering 8,563 road deaths during that period. Forbes Advisor conducted the study, meticulously examining National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2016 to 2020. This examination unveiled the fatalities resulting from road accidents in every U.S. state, categorized by hour, day, and month.
Saturday emerges as the day with the highest number of road accident deaths, accounting for 25,907 fatalities. October, spanning across the five-year period, emerges as the most treacherous month, with a combined total of 13,566 road accident fatalities. The hours from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. claim the unenviable position of the second most dangerous time slot, with 8,387 fatalities recorded between 2016 and 2020. The third highest total, amounting to 8,241 deaths, occurs from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Weekends, in general, prove perilous for drivers, with Fridays securing the second-highest count of traffic deaths at 23,147, and Sundays following closely behind with 23,038 fatalities, placing third. July ranks as the second deadliest month, witnessing 13,483 deaths, while September trails closely behind as the third highest, with a total of 13,404 fatalities.
Delving into individual states, the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. timeframe emerges as the most dangerous hour in 13 states, including New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Georgia. Across the majority of states, the hour range with the highest number of road accident deaths typically falls between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. However, South Dakota experiences the highest number of fatalities between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. In Maryland, the most hazardous hour spans from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m., while in Rhode Island, it occurs from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Remarkably, Saturday stands as the most perilous day to drive in 40 states, while Friday takes the highest crash fatality count in six states: Washington, New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. West Virginia identifies Thursday as the most dangerous day, whereas New Jersey and Nebraska associate Sunday with heightened risks, and Rhode Island designates Monday as the most hazardous day.
Analyzing the monthly data, July claims the dubious distinction of witnessing the highest number of road accident deaths in 14 states, including Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana. In 12 states, September and October prove to be the most dangerous months. Notably, certain outliers exist: March tops the charts in Florida as the month with the highest number of fatalities, while April presents the greatest risks in Arizona. November poses as the most treacherous month in Hawaii and California. Drivers; visit Liquid Trucking for more information on driver safety.