Rush Hour Poses Enhanced Collision Risks

California traffic jams are the stuff of legend. In fact, Los Angeles residents spend, on average, 61 hours each year in traffic jams. All that time sitting in traffic ups the probability of commuters being involved in accidents, especially during peak rush hours.

A highway safety think-tank in another state maintains an extensive database of crash-related characteristics. Some interesting facts about rush-hour collisions emerged, including:

• Accidents peak Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m. as commuters leave work.
• There’s a midweek uptick of accident frequency during the morning commute, as well as a Friday afternoon surge.
• Accidents between autos and pedestrians are the only type that peak on Saturday evenings, probably due to more people out on foot at those times.

It should also be noted that summer had the greatest frequency of bicycle collisions, as this corresponds with times children are out of school.

Avoid rush-hour wrecks

The following tips for rush-hour driving safety may make a difference between a serious collision and making it home to your family in one piece.

• Learn different routes. Anticipate that accidents or natural disasters will close some main arteries. Lean several ways to destinations.
• Allow plenty of time. When you are rushed, you might tend to break traffic laws and cause an accident.
• Avoiding road rage. Motorists who fly off the handle at other drivers run the risk of being physically assaulted — or worse.
• Don’t swerve in and out of lanes. It’s tempting to merge into that fast-moving lane, but a quarter of a mile up the road, it will be at a standstill.

Were you injured in a rush-hour wreck? You may be entitled to financial compensation from the at-fault parties.

Source: Carolina Population Center, “1 in 4 car accidents occur during rush hour,” Rebecca Tippet, accessed June 15, 2018