For all the amazing, wonderful things that we love about Atlanta, we can agree that the traffic is not one of them. From turning your twenty minute commute home after work into an hour one, to all the traffic when we’ve got concerts, sporting events or other events, traffic can low-key be a nightmare for Atlantans.
But good news! According to crash data reported by the Georgia Department of Transportation over the last five years, the safest time of day is actually one of the times most people are on the road.
So when’s the safest time to drive in Georgia?
It’s actually the morning rush hour. Yeah, surprising, right? 8 AM is the safest time to drive in Georgia, with reports showing that of all accidents happening in the state, only 1.6% of them happen at 8 AM.
Reports show that 7 AM is also a very safe time to be on the road, and 9 AM as well.
Drivers might be frustrated by the constant stop and go traffic, but rest assured that it’s a safe time of day to travel.
So if the morning is the safest time to drive, when’s the least safe?
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the most dangerous time of day to drive in Georgia is evening rush hour: 6 PM – 6:59 PM. The data taken between 2017 and 2021 indicates that 5.91% of fatal car crashes happen at this time of day.
This is the most dangerous time to drive in 11 other states in the U.S., making it the most dangerous time to drive nationally as well.
Overall, this data just indicates that drivers in Georgia (and everywhere) should always drive alert and safely. So grab a nice local coffee for your drive, and enjoy the ride!