The Most Dangerous Hour To Drive In New Jersey This Fall

You see a lot of crazy things driving in New Jersey. I would say aggressive driving has to top the list.  There's always someone tailgating, not letting a car merge when there's bumper-to-bumper traffic, or just completely cutting someone off.

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Then there are the drivers who seem to be cruising in the fast lane, going well below the speed limit, a kind of passive-aggressive "road police" move. And then there are the drivers who weave in and out of traffic at very high speeds.

But new research suggests there's another factor at play, revealing the time of day when driving is considered the most dangerous this time of year. And it doesn't have to do with aggressive driving during your morning or evening commute.

Read More: New Jersey Ranks Among States Spending The Least Percentage Of Income On Gas

According to a AAA Northeast analysis of crash data available in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, drivers need to be espeically careful as we continue to get used to sleep schedule changes and darker driving conditions.

The Most Dangerous Driving Hour

Driving between 5 pm and 6 pm becomes an increasingly dangerous time from October through November.

New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety preliminary data from Numetric indicates that in 2024, there was a 35% increase in crashes in the 5 p.m. hour from October to November. For pedestrians, the risk increases even more dramatically: There were 58% more pedestrian crashes in the 5 p.m. hour in November than October.

Be extra careful this time of year. We're also still dealing with the abundance of deer running out on the roadways, so use caution.