If you go on a trip in Virginia that lasts more than an hour, you are running a much greater motor vehicle accident risk than trips of shorter duration. Yet most accidents truly do happen close to home, a new study shows.
High accidents rates in first six minutes
The study of 3.2 million car trips from 2018 through 2019 shows that the likeliest time for a car crash is during the first six minutes of travel. A total of 1,986 accidents among those millions of trips happened with 39% occurring during the first six minutes, telematics provider Dolphin Technologies reports. Looking even closer, 25% of all accidents happened during the first three minutes of travel.
Researchers said that when a trip lasts more than 40 minutes, it is 2.5 times more likely to end in an accident than one lasting less than 20 minutes. Fortunately, only about 13% of all car trips are 40 minutes or more, which greatly reduces their impact on the total number of accidents.
Semi-lengthy trips prove safest
The study shows that the trips least likely to end with an accident are those that last between 10 minutes and 20 minutes in length. No suggested explanations are provided for the observational data, but the numbers clearly suggest that the study offers a valid look at how travel times and accident rates coincide. When a six-minute trip or less accounts for a plurality of accidents, then the trips closest to home remain the most dangerous.
If you are in a motor vehicle accident, an experienced personal injury attorney in the greater Blacksburg area may review your case and help you to hold the accountable parties at fault.
