A wayward driver can take you by surprise at any time. That said, there are certain times of day when you’re more at risk of being involved and injured in a serious car accident. By being cognizant of this reality, you can better prepare yourself to take defensive action that keeps you safe.
When is the most dangerous time of day to drive?
The statistics are clear that most car accidents occur in the evening hours after people have gotten off work and are rushing to get home. There are a number of reasons for this. To start, there’s more traffic congestion. This means that doing something as simple as changing lanes can be dangerous. You’ll also be at an increased risk of being involved in a rear-end collision, as stop-and-go traffic can pose a risk.
Additionally, many drivers who take to the road during the evening hours are fatigued. Many of them have been working all day, resulting in them being mentally and sometimes even physically tired. As a result, their attention span can wane, and they may not be as quick to react to changing traffic conditions as one would hope. This can result in a serious accident.
How can you stay safe during your evening commute?
You want to get home safely after work. To increase the chances that you’ll avoid a wreck on your evening commute, you might want to think about doing each of the following:
- Keep a safe distance: It can be hard to do, but you should try your best to keep a safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. A good rule is to try to keep three or four seconds between you and that vehicle. Although that might be hard to do when you’re driving in stop-and-go traffic, you should do your best to slow down to make sure you’ve got enough distance to safely stop to avoid a collision, if necessary.
- Frequently check your mirrors: During the evening commute, the traffic around you is going to be constantly shifting. At one moment a lane change might be safe, but the next another vehicle may have moved into that lane. If you don’t regularly check your mirrors and keep yourself apprised of your surroundings, then you might end up being involved in an accident.
- Stay alert: It’s easy to fall into a daze during your evening commute, especially when you’re tired from work and as you reflect on the events of the day. But letting yourself slip into this state can take your attention off the road and your surroundings, which can put you at a greater risk of being involved in a wreck.
- Avoid distractions: As you head home for the day, you might be tempted to reach for your phone to send a quick text or to make a quick call. But doing so can cause you to miss changing traffic scenarios, which can then result in an otherwise avoidable collision.
Know how to protect yourself and your interests
We hope that you’re able to stay safe as you hit the roads in the Somerset area, regardless of the time of day. But if you find yourself injured in an accident, then you need to know what you can do to try to make yourself whole again.
Pursuing a personal injury claim is one of the best ways to do that. If you’re successful in one of these cases, then you might be able to recover the compensation that you need to protect your future.
