Riskiest driving class in India revealed in report! It’s not rush hour

If you’re planning a long drive, the time of day may be more important than you think. A new road safety study has found that the period between 9pm and 10pm is the riskiest time 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, more than 55 million kilometers of driving data and information from more than 27,000 active users of the Zuno SmartDrive app in 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. In comparison, drivers recorded an average score of 93 between 13:00 and 14:00, the highest among all time intervals 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 scoring 92.43. The findings show that driving behaviour, rather than demographic factors, offers a clearer picture of road risk.Researchers have identified sudden braking and sudden acceleration as the weakest aspects of driving behavior among Indian drivers. Sudden braking received an average score of 87, while harsh acceleration received a score of 91. These habits are often associated with unsafe maneuvers and can increase the likelihood of accidents.Interestingly, seasonal changes had little impact 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. These include issues such as speeding, distracted driving and unsafe road practices. Road safety remains a major challenge for the country. India records about 1.73 lakh road deaths every year, which accounts for nearly 11 percent of global road deaths. The economic impact is also significant, with road accidents estimated to cost between 3 and 5 percent of a country’s GDP. Almost two-thirds of the deaths involve people between the ages of 18 and 45.The report also states that vulnerable road users continue to be the most affected. Two-wheeler riders account for 44 percent of all road deaths in India, while pedestrians account for nearly 19 percent of deaths.