An old saying says most motor vehicle accidents in Texas and around the country happen near the home. A recent scientific study affirms that notion with the additional precaution that more accidents happen during drives of relatively short duration. That would seem likely given many people live near where they work and shop near where they live. But the study narrows the window even more and suggests people might want to skip more short drives.
Millions of accidents studied
The most likely time for a motor vehicle accident is during the first three minutes of travel time, according to a study done by Dolphin Technologies, a telematics provider in Austria. The study analyzed 3.2 car trips made by 40,000 drivers in 2018 and 2019. A total of 1,986 accidents were reported with about 25 percent of accidents happen during the first three minutes of the drive with another 14 percent happening during the next three minutes. That adds up to 39 percent of all accidents happening during the first six minutes of travel.
Longest trips run highest accident risk
While trips lasting up to six minutes account for a plurality of accidents, the car trips that run the highest risks are those that last more than 40 minutes. Only about 13 percent of all car trips last more than a half hour and only 1 percent more than an hour. Yet, the longer the trip is beyond the 20-minute mark, the greater the risk of suffering an accident. Car trips lasting more than 40 minutes are 2.5 times more likely to be in an accident than trips lasting less than 20 minutes.
The safest travel window involves trips lasting between 10 and 20 minutes’ duration, Dolphin Technologies reports. No matter the length, most accidents are caused by driver error and can result in significant harm to occupants of other vehicles. An experienced personal injury attorney can review your case and help you to seek compensation for your losses.
