Although we look forward to them taking us places after a tiring week, the roads can be dangerous on weekends.
A study of our collision claims data* revealed some interesting insights about weekend driving that could help keep you and your passengers safe.
So if you’re heading somewhere this weekend, be it to a game, a concert or just getting out of the house, here are some important tips and stats to keep in mind.
Weekend Driving Tips
- Most car accidents (16%) occur on Fridays so if you’ve got a long drive, consider catching a train instead!
- Park carefully! 21% of all collisions occur when a car is parked. Parking lots and garages are extra packed on weekends, so it’s worth parking a little further away to protect your car from being hit. Also be sure to park between the lines and to leave enough space between cars.
- 23% of all collisions are rear-end, so be extra patient in weekend traffic and avoid tailgating. Also make sure your mirrors are adjusted properly and take extra care in checking your blind spots before heading out.
- Be mindful that the highest rate of collisions on weekends occurs between 10am-1pm, so try to make plans around this time-frame.
Weekend Driving Takeaways
Fridays put you most at risk
Most collisions (16%) occur on a Friday, and are most likely to happen between the peak hours of 8-9am or 3-6pm, coinciding with work and school commutes.
There's more to lose driving on the weekends
We found that 41% of crashes that occur on a Friday night, Saturday or Sunday contained a passenger – that’s 53% higher than other times of the week. Remember when you're driving with others there's even more reason to drive safely.
Weekend collisions cause more damage
Of any collision that occurs on a Friday night, Saturday or Sunday, the amount of damage to the car is 9% greater compared to collisions that occur during the rest of the week.
Most alarmingly, when the crash occurs during dark hours (8pm – 7am), the damage to the car is 37% higher than during daylight hours - this is even the case on weekdays.
If you loved these stats on saying safe, there’s plenty more where they came from. Read our blog on the most common types of car accidents and the most dangerous times on the road.
*Based on Youi Insurance collision data collected from Jan 2016 to 31 August 2017
