Have you ever wondered what time of the day most accidents are likely to happen on UAE roads?

If you are commuting to work, you would surely expect them to happen during rush hours, in the morning or in the evening, when everybody is out driving, and traffic is often congested. But that may not be true, according to a data-driven study conducted by Oman Insurance, one of the leading car insurers in the country. In fact, based on available claims data with Oman Insurance, the highest number of motor accidents, as reported to the insurer, happened between 1pm and 5pm. As per the study, people have 20% more chances of having an accident during these times than during rush hours.

These results may seem counter intuitive. With more people in the office and less cars on the road, there should be less accidents in the afternoon. While Oman Insurance’s claims data does not give reasons for the increased frequency, one can speculate that the end of the school day could be a reason, with people rushing to pick up kids and driving them back home. Another cause could be that drivers lose focus due to the heat and intense brightness of the afternoon sun. Lastly, with less traffic people tend to drive faster, which often correlates with more accidents.

The motor claims study further reveals that the timing pattern for accidents is similar for men and women drivers and across all days of the week except Friday, where 7-9 pm is the peak accident hour. Well, this could be due to all the party lovers stepping out to socialize!

Commenting on the study, Julien Audrerie, Head of Consumer Lines at Oman Insurance said, “Traditionally, these insights are generated by insurers to understand accident patterns and define price.  At Oman Insurance, our aim is to also responsibly impart this information to the general community in the UAE and promote road safety for everyone. The key insight here is don’t take your eyes off the road, especially during the afternoon.

The study, done over two years of claim data, also indicates that drivers have slightly more chances of having an accident on Sunday and Thursday. It seems all of us rush back home after an exhausting first day at work on Sunday and can’t wait to leave office on Thursday to relax over the weekend.

For those of you who wonder when the safest time to drive is, the study recommends taking your car for a spin between 1am and 5am. Nice advice but sleeping seems like a much better idea!