When is the most dangerous time of day to drive in Tennessee?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Drivers in the Volunteer State should always remain aware and alert of dangers on the road — but even more so at night, according to a new analysis.

Scott Vicknair — a New-Orleans-based personal injury law firm — analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) to determine the most dangerous times to drive in each state.

The data, which was compiled from deadly crashes that occurred in 2017 to 2022, found that 6 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. is the most dangerous time to drive nationwide. In fact, 5.91% of the 216,907 deadly crashes that happened in the five-year span occurred during this time, per NHTSA.

Meanwhile, the most dangerous time to drive in Tennessee isn’t during the rush hour — it’s a little later.

According to NHTSA data, 9 p.m. to 9:59 p.m. is the most dangerous time for motorists in Tennessee, according to data. This time slot saw 380 deadly crashes in the state from 2017 to 2022, which is 5.83% higher than any other time in the day.

Tennessee isn’t the only state where 9 p.m. to 9:59 p.m. was the most dangerous time to drive. NHTSA said seven other states — including California, Florida, and Arizona — shared the same result.

“Not a single state had its highest numbers in the morning, which is surprising,” said a spokesperson for Scott Vicknair. “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.”

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The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) offered several tips for how motorists can stay safe on the roadways. All drivers are reminded to “look twice” and safely “share the road” to help keep motorcyclists safe.

Motorists should also remember to slow down, put their mobile phones away and safely secure child passengers and pets.

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