If you’re planning a long drive, the time of day may be more important than you think. A new road safety study has found that the period between 9 PM and 10 PM is the riskiest hour to be on Indian roads, while driving between 1 PM and 2 PM appears to be the safest. The findings come from the India Road Safety Report (IRSR) 2026 released by Zuno General Insurance.The report analysed more than 4.5 million trips, over 55 million kilometres of driving data and information from more than 27,000 active users of the Zuno SmartDrive app spread across 17 states.
Other key findings from the report:
According to the study, driving behaviour remains relatively stable through most of the day but begins to deteriorate after 8 PM. The average driving score drops to 86 between 9 PM and 10 PM, making it the most risky period for motorists. In comparison, drivers recorded an average score of 93 between 1 PM and 2 PM, the highest among all time slots analysed.The report also challenges some common assumptions about driving habits. Women and men recorded almost identical driving scores, with women scoring 92.86 and men 92.43. The findings suggest that driving behaviour, rather than demographic factors, offers a clearer picture of road risk.Researchers identified sudden braking and harsh acceleration as the weakest aspects of driving behaviour among Indian motorists. Sudden braking received an average score of 87, while harsh acceleration scored 91. These habits are often linked to unsafe manoeuvres and can increase the likelihood of accidents.Interestingly, seasonal changes had little impact on driving patterns. Average driving scores remained largely consistent across summer, monsoon and winter, indicating that driver behaviour plays a bigger role in road safety than weather conditions.The report highlights a larger concern as well. According to the findings, behavioural factors contribute to more than 80 percent of road accidents in India. This includes issues such as speeding, distracted driving and unsafe road practices. Road safety continues to be a major challenge for the country. India records around 1.73 lakh road fatalities every year, accounting for nearly 11 percent of global road deaths. The economic impact is also significant, with road accidents estimated to cost between 3 percent and 5 percent of the country’s GDP. Nearly two-thirds of fatalities involve people aged between 18 and 45 years.The report also notes that vulnerable road users remain the most affected. Two-wheeler riders account for 44 percent of all road deaths in India, while pedestrians make up nearly 19 percent of fatalities.
