What's the Most Dangerous Time of Day on the Road?

2a.m. That’s the finding from a major, new traffic analysis called Traffic STATS, conducted by Carnegie Mellon University researchers. Why is 2a.m. so dangerous? Because not only is it dark, it’s also the time when most bars close and the drunks hit the road. Another reason 2a.m. is so dangerous - there’s less traffic, which means drivers feel free to go faster and take more risks.

So what’s the safest time of day to drive? 8a.m. Yup, right in the middle of morning rush hour. Why is it safer? Because it’s daylight and cars are typically moving slowly enough to avoid collisions. Another big finding from the study – women are better drivers than men. Sorry guys, it turns out that men take more risks on the road, drive faster, weave in and out of cars more, and take turns faster. In fact, men are 77% MORE likely to die in a car crash than women. But the new data uncovered some other surprising statistics.

• A cautious 82-year-old woman is more likely to die in a car crash than a risk-taking 16 year old boy. Why? Because the 82 year old is more fragile.                              
• The second most likely group to die in a car accident, after little old ladies, young male drivers between the ages of 16 and 23. Their fatality rate is 4 times higher than average.
• Drivers in New England are the safest. They get in the fewest crashes of any region.
• The safest passenger in the car? A baby or toddler secured in a car seat during morning rush hour traffic.
• The safest vehicle is a school bus.
• The most dangerous vehicle is a motorcycle.
• The safest driving day is Wednesday. There are the fewest crashes and fatalities.
• Saturdays are the deadliest days on the road.
• The safest driving month: February.
• The deadliest month: October.
• And the drivers with the lowest risk of death are adults between 40 and 50 years old.