If you’re on a long trip, the time of day may be more important than you think. A new road safety study found that the period between 9 PM and 10 PM is the riskiest time 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 published by Zuno General Insurance.The report analyzed more than 4.5 million trips, more than 55 million miles 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 behavior remains relatively stable for most of the day, but begins to deteriorate after 8 PM. The average driving score drops to 86 between 21:00 and 22:00, making it the riskiest period for motorists. In comparison, drivers recorded an average score of 93 between 1 PM and 2 PM, the highest among all time slots analyzed.The report also challenges some common assumptions about driving habits. Women and men recorded nearly identical driving scores, with women scoring 92.86 and men 92.43. The results suggest that driving behaviour, rather than demographic factors, offer a clearer picture of road risk.Researchers identified sudden braking and hard acceleration as the weakest aspects of driving behavior among Indian motorists. Sudden braking received an average score of 87, while hard acceleration scored 91. These habits are often linked to unsafe maneuvers and can increase the likelihood of accidents.Interestingly, seasonal changes had little impact on driving patterns. Average driving scores were largely consistent in summer, monsoon and winter, indicating that driver behavior plays a bigger 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 continues to be a major challenge for the country. India records about 1.73 lakh road deaths every year, accounting for nearly 11 percent of the world’s 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. Almost two-thirds of the victims involve people between the ages of 18 and 45.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 account for nearly 19 percent of fatalities.
