Ever since Labor Day, the number of cars on the road in the morning rush has become unbearable. I started leaving for work earlier to beat the rush — around 6:30 instead of 7:30. The effect of standard time and the earlier start makes for a completely dark commute, but at least we were all moving at speeds over 65 mph. I had wondered about the relative risk of this new change: getting into my car was probably the most dangerous thing I do during the day, except for the off-chance of a shark attacking me in my cubicle.
What kind of dangers are there when driving to work at 6 instead of 7? Decreased visibility due to lack of sunlight, higher speeds due to lack of congestion, and less attentive drivers because its just too damn early in the morning and people are still waking up.
National traffic statistics from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety confirmed my theory. During the 6AM hour, there were an estimated 17.35 fatalities per 100 million trips in the years 1999 to 2005. For the 7AM hour, there were approximately 7.21 fatalities per 100 million trips. That means if you drive at 6AM instead of 7AM, you are more than twice as likely to get into a fatal accident.
Oh well, the potential for a shorter and less-stressful commute is just too much to ignore.