The most dangerous time to drive in every state
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In 2023, roughly one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities (33%) happened between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the single deadliest three-hour block from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (18% of all deaths). Those hours straddle the evening commute, when roads are crowded, daylight fades, and impairment risks rise. That pattern shows up year after year in federal crash data.
Traffic deaths nationwide have risen sharply over the past several years, even as overall vehicle miles traveled have fluctuated. While weather, road design, and vehicle safety technology all play a role, federal crash records show that the time of day is one of the strongest predictors of fatal risk on the road. And that the riskiest hour varies significantly by state.
The following analysis, conducted by THE702FIRM Injury Attorneys, a personal injury law firm based in Nevada, uses data from the National Safety Council and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to identify when fatal crashes are most likely to occur across the country, and which states see the highest concentration of deadly collisions during night, rush hour, and weekend periods.
National Safety Council
Evening hours are the deadliest nationwide
Fatal crashes in the U.S. are most likely to occur in the early evening, with the 4 p.m. to 7:59 p.m. time block recording the highest death totals across every day of the week, National Safety Council data shows. The period coincides with the end of the workday, heavier traffic on major routes, and the start of evening social activity.
Risk remains elevated into the night. Crashes between 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. make up the next-highest share of fatalities, even though overall traffic volume drops. Reduced visibility, faster travel speeds on open roads, and a higher proportion of impaired drivers are key factors.
Fridays and Saturdays show the sharpest increases, reflecting the overlap of weekend travel and nighttime recreation.
Per state breakdown of peak crash times
Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s time-of-day crash dataset shows 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. as the deadliest three-hour window, but state-level patterns are not uniform. In some states, the peak shifts earlier into the late-afternoon commute, while others see their highest concentration of fatal crashes after dark.
THE702FIRM Injury Attorneys
How the risk shifts within the 3–9 p.m. band
Commuter hazards
Late afternoon remains a high-risk window for drivers as heavy traffic, impatience, and end-of-day fatigue converge.
Teens face a later peak
Among teenagers killed in crashes in 2023, the single highest share (20%) occurred from 9 p.m. to midnight, just after the national 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. peak.
Crash type matters
In fixed-object crashes (e.g., trees, poles), the night share is even higher. 42% of deaths occurred from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., with 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. the single biggest slice (17%).
What changing traffic patterns may mean next
While evening hours remain the most dangerous window for drivers nationwide, transportation officials note that the underlying factors behind those crashes vary widely from state to state, ranging from rural road design and lighting gaps to population growth in fast-expanding metropolitan areas.
As more states adopt real-time traffic monitoring, expand pedestrian-safety corridors, and adjust daylight-saving timetables, analysts expect the distribution of risk to keep shifting. What hasn’t changed in more than a decade of federal crash records is the familiar shape of the curve: a steady rise through the late afternoon, a sharp peak after sunset, and millions of Americans still on the road when that risk is at its highest.
This story was produced by THE702FIRM Injury Attorneys and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
