Britain’s ‘Danger Hour’: Sunday at 3am is the riskiest hour to drive

• The most dangerous hours to drive in the UK are between 11pm and 4am, with 3am to 4am on Sunday being the riskiest hour of the week.
• The start of the morning rush hour commute (5am to 7am on weekdays) and 9am to 10am on weekends are the safest times to drive during the week.
• Over half (60%) of drivers have been involved in or witnessed a road accident.
• Almost 1 in 3 drivers (29%) admit to exceeding the speed limit, with more than 1 in 4 (27%) doing so specifically when roads are quieter.
• Confused.com has launched an interactive ‘Safety Index’ tool, helping motorists plan their journeys by showing the safest and riskiest hours of each day.

The riskiest hour of the week to drive is 3am to 4am on Sunday¹, when drivers face the highest likelihood of being involved in an accident. Despite the quieter roads after midnight, the risk per vehicle increases significantly during these late-night hours.

New analysis by Confused.com reveals the safest and most dangerous times of day to drive in the UK. Roads are becoming proportionately riskier during these after midnight hours, despite traffic levels being among the lowest of the day.

Using the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Traffic Flow Index, Confused.com has created a Safety Index to show how risky each hour is in terms of collisions relative to traffic levels. The higher the Safety Index, the more dangerous it is to drive at that hour. This is reflected in the number of collisions and high safety index figures seen in the late night-hours.

The after midnight hours of the day are significantly more dangerous on Saturdays and Sundays than during the week. As drivers take advantage of quieter roads to drive, potentially at higher speeds, may be experiencing fatigue in the middle of the night, and the risk of encountering drunk drivers also increases during weekend late-night hours.

Whereas, the safest periods to drive tend to fall in the early morning, particularly from 5am to 7am on weekdays. Midweek mornings stand out as the lowest-risk window for driving, with Wednesday recording the safest time of the week. They tend to be safer because commuter traffic might be more predictable and generally moves at slower, steadier speeds, which helps reduce collision risk. On weekends, the safest time shifts later to 9am–10am, when morning traffic might pick up but collisions remain comparatively low.

Safest and most dangerous times to drive per day of the week:

When it comes to collisions alone, in the last year, national data shows there were 100,927 across the country2. In specific areas of the country, the busiest crash window falls between 5pm to 6pm. During this period, the top 3 councils with the highest numbers of collisions include Kent (265), Surrey (215), and Essex (205). These hours are commonly known as a busy time of day, with roads filling up with school traffic and commuters returning from work.

Further research involving 2,000 UK drivers found that over half (60%) have been involved in or witnessed a road accident, with 1 in 3 (33%) of those incidents occurring in the afternoon. These experiences influence driver behaviour afterwards. Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) of those affected said they felt more nervous behind the wheel, while almost 2 in 5 (39%) said they have become more cautious and aware of other drivers since the accident.

When it comes to driving in certain environments, more than 1 in 4 (26%) say that inner-city roads make them feel nervous. Almost 1 in 3 (29%) feel safest on motorways, but only when driving between 10am and 3pm, even though these hours fall outside the statistically safest early morning periods.

Drivers also admitted to behaviours that contribute to the risk of accidents. Almost 1 in 3 (29%) revealed they exceed the speed limit at least sometimes. While more than 1 in 4 (27%) say they do so specifically when roads are quieter, which coincides with the very timings that the Safety Index highlights as the most dangerous.

With winter in full swing, darker days, Christmas congestion, and increased drink driving risks, the roads can become more dangerous. Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) are concerned about drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs on roads at night or on the weekends.

As a result, drivers are looking for ways to stay safe, often adjusting their habits to feel more in control behind the wheel. Half (50%) say they avoid driving in poor weather, while over 2 in 5 (41%) choose to leave earlier than usual so they can take their time and avoid rushing. More than 1 in 3 (37%) go a step further by avoiding driving at night, when driving conditions can be more challenging.

To help drivers better understand and plan around these risks ahead of the busy road season, Confused.com has created an interactive ‘Safety Index’ tool.

This tool allows motorists to explore the safest and most dangerous hours across each day of the week, based on national traffic flow and collision data. By toggling between days, users can see how the risk profile changes and identify lower-risk windows for essential journeys.

Rhydian Jones, Confused.com car insurance expert, comments:

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