As a fleet manager, knowing when accidents are most likely to occur can help with your risk management, which could help you save money on repairs, maintenance, and even commercial fleet insurance.
In this post we’ll take a look at some key data to assess on what days, weeks, and months motor accidents are most likely.
If you have any questions about risk management for fleets, call our commercial motor insurance experts on 020 8290 9099, or email commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
On What Day Are Motor Accidents Most Likely?
Recent research into telematic data revealed that Friday is the most common day for accidents to take place. Specifically, Fridays at 9am.
Why are accidents more likely on Friday mornings? Most likely it’s because it’s the end of the working week. People are tired, and impatient for the weekend to start. This could make some drivers less attentive, and more likely to take risks. It could even lead to some more aggressive driving, including harsh braking, speeding, and sharper turns.
By contrast, drivers on Monday morning are more likely to feel refreshed after the weekend, which can make them less likely to be involved in accidents.
On What Months of the Year are Motor Accidents Most Likely?
You might assume that road accidents are more likely to occur during the colder months of the year, when darker nights and icy conditions can cause drivers to lose control.
But according to data from Holts, while most accidents occur in November, we also see peaks in May, June, and July. Accidents may be more likely in late spring and early summer simply because there are more cars on the road. But it may also be on account of the increased risk of sun dazzle, or perhaps because higher temperatures make some drivers feel drowsy.
On What Weeks of the Year are Motor Accidents Most Likely?
According to the same data quoted by Holts, there are certain weeks of the year that see more traffic accidents than others and most of these fall in the winter:
- 14 – 21 January
- 1 – 7 November
- 1 – 7 December
- 21 – 28 November.
November, December, January – these are the coldest and the darkest weeks of the year, and they’re often accompanied by wet or freezing weather. Plus, these are weeks when drivers are likely to feel tired, anxious, or stressed – particularly in the first week of December and that gloomy third week of January, when people may be contending with those post-festive credit card bills…
How Can I Prevent Accidents in My Fleet?
Though the data reveals spikes in the amount of road traffic accidents on certain days, weeks, and months of the year, these spikes tend to be small. Really, accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, and the accident data for your fleet and your drivers might be completely different from the national averages.
So if you want to better understand the risks you’re facing as a fleet manager, you need to look beyond these studies and instead focus on your own data:
- Invest in fleet management technology. Whether it’s tachographs, telematics, or even cameras, fleet management tech can help you build a detailed picture of when and where accidents are most likely to occur among your drivers.
- Communicate your data. If you can glean any insights from your data, share it with your drivers. If you simply inform them of when accidents are more likely, they may make a point of driving with a bit more care at certain times.
- Training and development. When you know what sort of risks you’re fleet’s facing, you’ll have a better idea of what sort of training and development might help improve your drivers’ behaviour on the road.
At Anthony Jones, we view risk management as a vital part of the service that we provide. If you have any questions about risk management for fleets, call our commercial motor insurance experts on 020 8290 9099, or email commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
