Crash hour: car accidents peak around the 3pm school pick-up, warns Allianz

The 3pm afternoon rush, when many parents do the school pick-up, is the most likely time to have a car accident according to the latest data from insurance provider Allianz.

Allianz last year received more than 10,300 claims for car accidents during the weekday rush hour – the highest peak in the day. In contrast, less than half the number of claims (4,500) occurred at 6.30pm and around 1,600 claims happened at 8.30pm.

The figures indicate accidents are more common during the afternoon rush hour with busy roads, parents in a hurry, children in the car causing distraction and a surge of pedestrians all potential reasons for the increase.

The insurer paid out £51 million for accidents that happened at 3pm last year, an increase of £7 million compared to 2022. In comparison, claims for accidents that happened at 6.30pm cost £27 million, an increase of £6 million from 2022.

Despite the afternoon rush hour being an accident hot spot, the morning rush hour tells a different story. Only half (5,482) as many accidents occurred at 8am compared to 3pm, possibly down to increased levels of alertness first thing in the morning compared to later on in the day. The average cost of an accidental damage claim was around £6,200 last year during this time, with 3pm claims costing around £5,300.

Caroline Johnson, Claims Director at Allianz personal lines business said: “Our data has highlighted interesting patterns in the frequency and severity of claims, and mid-late afternoons on the road seem to be a real hot spot for minor accidents. There can be a number of additional distractions at this time, from increased numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, to having excitable children in the car, and even just that determination to get home quickly after work.

“At Allianz, we want people to be as safe as they possibly can on the roads, and a heightened awareness of these trickier travel times and how to navigate them confidently is the way to go. It can be too easy to pull out quickly from a road when in a rush, or make a little error when reversing under pressure, so trying to make extra time on your journey may make the difference to ensuring accidents don’t happen.”