Deadliest day and time to drive in Australia
EXCLUSIVE: Saturday is the most dangerous day to be on any Australian road during the year, and March is the worst month with the highest number of deaths.
Analysis obtained by News Corp Australia for the first time has revealed that overall, the deadliest time for motorists to be on the road is between 3pm and 4pm.
On average, the cooler winter months are more dangerous, but in all states except NSW and Queensland, the number of deaths in December is above average, with a spike in road fatalities in the month of Christmas.
The analysis from Teletrac Navman, a leading global GPS fleet management provider, has revealed the most dangerous times to be on the roads based on data from the Federal Government's Australian Road Deaths Database.
The data is based on deaths on the road since 2011 up until July this year when there were 9200 deaths including 2,535 women and 6,649 men. Gender could not be determined in seven of the deaths.
It also revealed the average age of those killed was 44.
In NSW, 3pm-4pm is the most dangerous time to be driving and August was recorded as the worst month for road deaths.
In Victoria, while 3pm-4pm is the worst hour on the road, March is the worst month.
In Queensland, 3pm-4pm is the most dangerous hour again, but May is the most dangerous month overall.
In South Australia, the hour of 11am until midday is the worst time on a Sunday to drive during March, when there have been a higher number of road deaths.
In the Northern Territory, Saturday night between 7pm-8pm is the worst hour to be driving during the month of June.
In Western Australia, 3pm-4pm on a Saturday is still the worst day to be driving in March.
In the ACT, Wednesday has been found to be the most dangerous time to drive between 4pm-5pm.
In Tasmania, January is the deadliest time to be on the road, with more deaths on Sundays between 1pm-2pm.
Most deaths were caused by car crashes and 46.5 per cent of those who died were drivers, while the remaining 19.1 per cent were passengers, followed by motorcyclists (16.6 per cent), pedestrians (13.7 per cent) and cyclists (3.1 per cent).
Chris L'Ecluse, a Solutions Specialist at Teletrac Navman, told News Corp Australia the car crashes and road deaths occurred mainly at intersections and during peoples' trips to and from home and work.
"When drivers are in a familiar environment, they drive in a subconscious state," he said.
"Because we drive to and from work and home so regularly, we don't pay as much attention as we should."
Mr L'Ecluse, who has run driver training courses worldwide after serving as a police officer in Australia for 20 years, said drivers need to minimise distractions like talking on a phone, texting, doing make-up or listening to a podcast.
"98 per cent of collisions are preventable, but when we compare that to terrorism which we give a lot of attention to because it plays on our fears, really, the greatest risk we face is that steering wheel, it's not always terrorism," he said.
"We can't accept this, by 2030 I've seen research done saying that 12 years from now, road trauma will be the fifth leading cause of death globally. We have the cure we just don't choose to use it."
He said that while cars are becoming more advanced with better technology, drivers are still ultimately responsible.
"We are seeing a dilution of driving skills as people rely more on technologies rather than focus on saving themselves," he said.
"Any time you focus your energy on any task not specifically designed to make your trip safer you put yourself and other road users in peril.
"Over 20 years as a policeman I did 48 death knocks and I've never forgotten one of them," he said.
"You don't forget that scream when someone completely loses it, some stand there with a blank look on their face and others take it out on you when you tell them news about a loved one that will devastate their family forever," he said.
"Take note of where you're driving and what's around you."
