A new global study has identified the most dangerous hour to be on the road—and it’s not always when you might expect.
Research released by car insurance comparison expert MoneySuperMarket shows that the start of the afternoon rush hour is the most hazardous period for drivers in many countries, including Canada. However, the precise 60-minute “danger window” varies significantly across regions, reflecting cultural and commuting differences worldwide.
The analysis examined official road collision data from 15 countries and territories, identifying the single hour in each where crashes peak. In Canada, the riskiest period falls between 4:00 p.m. and 4:59 p.m., accounting for 8.8% of all daily collisions—a pattern consistent with late-afternoon commuting traffic seen across much of Europe.
Afternoon rush hour dominates—but not everywhere
Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Switzerland all reported their highest collision rates in the late afternoon, typically between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., when roads are busiest with commuters heading home.
Switzerland recorded the most concentrated risk, with 10.7% of all daily collisions occurring between 5:00 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.—meaning more than one in ten accidents happen within a single hour.
However, the study also highlights notable exceptions. In the United States, Japan and Taiwan, the most dangerous time to drive is during the morning commute (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.), suggesting heavier congestion or different travel patterns earlier in the day.
Southern Europe presents its own unique trends. Italy sees a spike in crashes later in the evening between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., while Greece experiences peak collisions during the midday period (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Spain stands out as well, with its highest risk window occurring earlier in the afternoon at 2:00 p.m..
Global collision peak times by country
| Country | Peak Collision Hour | % of Daily Collisions |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 17:00 – 17:59 | 10.7% |
| Taiwan | 07:30 – 08:29 | 10.0% |
| Norway | 15:00 – 15:59 | 9.9% |
| Germany | 16:00 – 16:59 | 8.9% |
| UK | 16:30 – 17:29 | 9.0% |
| Finland | 15:00 – 15:59 | 8.7% |
| Canada | 16:00 – 16:59 | 8.8% |
| USA | 07:30 – 08:29 | 8.6% |
| Japan | 07:30 – 08:29 | 9.3% |
| France | 17:00 – 17:59 | 8.5% |
| Poland | 15:30 – 16:29 | 8.5% |
| Spain | 14:00 – 14:59 | 7.5% |
| Italy | 20:00 – 20:59 | 7.4% |
| Greece | 12:00 – 12:59 | 7.3% |
| Costa Rica | 18:00 – 18:59 | 6.6% |
“Risk isn’t evenly spread across the day”
Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said the findings reinforce how concentrated driving risk can be:
“This research reminds us that driving risk isn’t evenly spread across the day. Naturally, rush hours are more dangerous times to be on the road due to the higher concentration of traffic, but it’s surprising to see the concentration of collisions in such small windows.
For example, in Switzerland, more than one in ten of the day’s road accidents happens in a single 60-minute window between 5–6 p.m. We hope our research highlights to drivers when accidents could be more likely to happen to help them be more alert when they are behind the wheel during these times.”
Implications for Canadian drivers
For Canadians, the findings serve as a reminder that the late afternoon commute remains the most critical time for road safety. Increased congestion, fatigue after the workday, and time pressures may all contribute to elevated collision risks.
Road safety experts suggest that heightened awareness, maintaining safe following distances, and avoiding distractions are particularly important during peak hours.
Methodology
MoneySuperMarket identified countries with the highest number of vehicles per capita and sourced publicly available collision data from official government and transport authority databases.
The time of day for each recorded collision was extracted and analyzed to determine the single peak 60-minute window in each country.
The study includes 15 countries and territories with populations over one million and excludes regions where comparable data was not available. Australian data is based on the state of Victoria only.
All datasets were processed with the assistance of AI tools (Claude by Anthropic). Data is accurate as of June 2026, with full datasets available upon request.
