Peak time for car crashes revealed – and it’s not rush hour
Car insurance provider Allianz found the worst time for crashes was not the rush hour commute, but 3pm - when children are leaving school.
In fact so many claims were made during this time, it's been dubbed 'crash hour'.
More than 10,300 claims were made to Allianz during the school rush hour in 2023, compared to 4,500 at 6.30pm and 1,600 at 8.30pm.
And 3pm is particularly bad for crashes compared to the morning school run - with 5,482 claims at 8am, almost half that of 3pm.
The insurer has spoken out after seeing a £7 million increase in claims at 3pm in 2023 compared to 2022 - with £51m paid out.
The average claim for accidental damage at 3pm was about £5,300, Allianz said.
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The news comes after it was revealed one in five secondary school pupils has been hit or nearly hit by a car when on their mobile phone.
About 84% of 16-year-olds said they use their phone while near roads and 18% admitted having been involved in a crash or near miss, a poll for car insurer Churchill found.
Behavioural scientists assessed film footage at 10 sites across the UK and found a 10th of children had their eyes on their phones as they crossed the road outside their school.
About 1,200 children are injured in collisions within 500 metres of a school every month, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) says.
With more than half of children receiving their first phone the summer before they start secondary school, Churchill is urging drivers to be vigilant and parents to explain the dangers to their children.
It has launched the 'Screen down, Eyes up' campaign to raise awareness of the risks of using mobile phones.
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