If you’re planning a long drive, the time of day may be more important than you think. A new study on road safety has found that the period between 9pm and 10pm is the riskiest hour on Indian roads, while driving between 1pm and 2pm appears to be the safest. The findings come from the India Road Safety Report (IRSR) 2026 published by Zuno General Insurance.The report analyzed more than 4.5 million trips, over 55 million kilometers of driving data and information from more than 27,000 active Zuno SmartDrive users across 17 countries.
Other key findings from the report:
According to the study, driving behavior remains relatively stable for most of the day, but begins to deteriorate after 8 p.m. The average driving score drops to 86 between 9pm and 10pm, making it the riskiest period for drivers. By comparison, drivers recorded an average score of 93 between 1pm and 2pm, the highest among all time intervals analysed.The report also challenges some common assumptions about driving habits. Women and men scored nearly identically on the driving test, with women scoring 92.86 and men scoring 92.43. The findings suggest that driving behaviour, rather than demographic factors, offers a clearer picture of road risk.The researchers identified sudden braking and sharp acceleration as the weakest aspects of driving behavior among Indian drivers. Sudden braking received an average score of 87 and harsh acceleration 91. These habits are often associated with unsafe maneuvers and can increase the likelihood of accidents.Interestingly, seasonal changes had little effect on driving patterns. Average driving scores remained largely consistent during summer, monsoon and winter, indicating that driver behavior plays a greater role in road safety than weather conditions.The report also highlights a larger concern. According to the findings, behavioral 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 remains a major challenge for the country. India records around 1.73 million road deaths every year, accounting for nearly 11 percent of global road deaths. The economic impact is also significant, with the estimated costs of traffic accidents between 3 and 5 percent of a country’s GDP. Almost two-thirds of the deaths involved people between the ages of 18 and 45.The report also states that vulnerable road users continue to be the most affected. Two-wheeler drivers account for 44 percent of all road deaths in India, while pedestrians account for nearly 19 percent.
