New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals the most dangerous time to drive in each state.
Across the nation, 12 states had the most dangerous drive time between 5-5:59 p.m. For Texas, however, the most dangerous drive time is between 9-9:59 p.m.
According to the study, 1,409 of the 21,517 deadly crashes that occurred in the state between 2017 and 2022, happened during that time period. That is 6.55% higher than any other time in the day.
The table below shows a breakdown of the 50 states and the most dangerous drive times seen:
| Time | Number of states with this dangerous driving time |
|---|---|
| 5-5:59 p.m. | 12 |
| 6-6:59 p.m. | 10 |
| 8-8:59 p.m. | 7 |
| 9-9:59 p.m. | 7 |
| 4-4:59 p.m. | 5 |
| 3-3:59 p.m. | 5 |
| 2-2:59 p.m. | 3 |
| 7-7:59 p.m. | 2 |
“While rush hour is the most dangerous time to drive, and all states had the most fatalities during the afternoon and evening, not a single state had its highest numbers in the morning, which is surprising. With earlier times of the day usually having fewer cars on the road, this doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous, as often the way you drive can make any environment you travel equally dangerous,” said Scott Vicknair, Personal Injury Lawyer who studied the report.
A full report from the NHTSA can be found here.