Most dangerous time to drive revealed - and it's not when you might expect
Mon, 06 Jul 2026
UK drivers are most likely to be involved in a collision during a single one-hour period on weekday afternoons, new research suggests
The study, carried out by MoneySuperMarket, examined collision statistics from 15 countries with high levels of car ownership. It found that the evening rush hour is consistently the riskiest time to be on the road in the UK.
In fact, drivers in the UK are most likely to be involved in a road collision between 4.30pm and 5.30pm, according to the crash data.
Around 9% of the UK's daily collisions happen between 4.30pm and 5.29pm – the highest concentration of crashes during any one-hour period.
The findings are unlikely to surprise many motorists. As commuters head home from work, roads become busier, congestion increases and drivers are more likely to encounter stop-start traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.
The UK wasn't alone in seeing an afternoon spike in crashes. Germany recorded its busiest collision period between 4pm and 5pm, accounting for 8.9% of daily crashes, while Canada also saw its highest share of accidents during the late afternoon.
Not every country follows the same pattern. In the United States, Japan and Taiwan, the morning commute proved to be the most dangerous period, with the highest proportion of crashes occurring between 7.30am and 8.29am.
Elsewhere, Italy recorded the greatest number of collisions between 8pm and 9pm, while Greece's peak crash period fell between midday and 1pm.
Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, says: "Driving risk isn't evenly spread across the day.
"Rush hour is naturally one of the busiest times on the road, but it's striking how many collisions are concentrated into such a short window.
"We hope these findings encourage drivers to be extra vigilant when travelling during the periods when crashes are most likely to happen."
