Vehicle accidents can happen at any time, during any weather, and on any road surface. From highways to city streets to parking lots, drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and poorly-trained drivers seem to lurk around every corner. What if there was a way, however, to minimize your potential for an accident by simply altering your schedule? The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security set out to determine just that.
The results might be shocking.
In a published paper that organized crash statistics by both Tennessee county as well as the time of day, it was determined that the most dangerous three-hour period was from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day. This finding was consistent all the way back to 2007 and holds true for the YTD numbers for 2019 as well. This three-hour period accounts for roughly 25 percent of all traffic accidents that occur throughout Tennessee.
The pure data does not offer a summary, of course, but the reasons might be clear. People are coming home from work, high schoolers are driving home from class, the sun begins to set, people are tired, et cetera.
For each of the last three years, there have been more than 52,000 traffic accidents throughout Tennessee during these hours.
What can be done?
Tennessee has taken steps to both educate drivers and legislate the main driving distraction – the cell phone. Since mid-summer, it has been illegal to hold your phone while driving. Texting has been against the law for some time, but drivers must now make phone calls using a hands-free device. Additionally, other distractions such as personal grooming, eating, or manipulating music or GPS menus are constantly highlighted by ad campaigns and educational pamphlets.
Armed with the knowledge that a certain block of time is consistently the most dangerous, many drivers can attempt to avoid unnecessary danger. If a vehicle accident becomes a reality, however, it is wise to discuss your case with an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney.