Winter prangs are costing motorists £150 million more compared to during the summer, with approximately 70,000* more accidents occurring according to the latest statistics.
Frosty roads and rainy weather have been causing havoc for British motorists, who see a 15%* rise in accidents during the winter months from January-March when compared to the equivalent June-August summertime figure.
The research by accident aftercare specialist, Accident Exchange, also found that the rush to get home in the evenings coincided with a 5-6pm peak in accidents. The traditional rush hour meant at its height, numbers were up by 30%** against the average of any given hour during the day, as lower visibility and high congestion takes its toll.
Higher fatigue toward the end of the week will have likely played a part in making Friday the worst day of the week for motorists with 19% more accidents happening than on average during the week.
More specifically, Accident Exchange also found that the heaviest spike in accidents fell on the last Friday before the May Day bank holiday, with 75% more accidents than the average.
In 2017, that day falls on the 28th of April, which could see an increase in recorded accidents of approximately 10,500 versus 6,000 on a typical day.
Scott Hamilton-Cooper, operations director at Accident Exchange commented: “With a mixture of poor weather and visibility, additional congestion and inevitable fatigue toward the end of the week, it’s no surprise that the winter months experience this kind of surge in accidents.”
“With one of the coldest January’s on record already under our belts, motorists will have been even more prone to ice, slippery roads and fog which could easily see this number rise even further.”
The study examined 28,000 incidents recorded by Accident Exchange between January 2015 and December 2016.
* Data analysis of 28,000 accidents by Accident Exchange found 26.78% accidents occurred from January to March and 23.455% accidents from June to August, an increase of 14.18%. There are an estimated 2.2 million accidents annually across the UK. Total winter accidents can be worked out as 26.78% of 2.2 million equals 589,182, and the summertime equivalent is 23.455% of 2.2 million which equals 516,010.
The period from January to March therefore sees 73,172 more accidents annually than June to August. The average cost to repair a damaged vehicle is estimated at £2,050. Therefore, £2,050 x 73,172 equals £150,002,600 which is the additional cost of accidents during winter compared to summer.
**Compared to average accidents in any given hour between 10am – 6pm.
