A new road safety study has identified the 9 PM to 10 PM window as the most dangerous hour for driving in India, highlighting how behavioural patterns significantly influence road risk. The findings come from Zuno General Insurance’s India Road Safety Report (IRSR) 2026, which analysed driving behaviour using telemetry data collected through the Zuno SmartDrive app.

The study is based on a large dataset covering 4.5 million trips and 55 million kilometres of driving across 17 states. According to the report, driving performance declines sharply after 8 PM, with late-evening hours showing a noticeable rise in risky behaviour on roads. In contrast, the safest time for commuting was identified as between 1 PM and 2 PM, when driving scores were found to be at their most stable.

The report also challenges common stereotypes around gender and driving safety. It found minimal difference in performance between men and women drivers, with women recording an average driving score of 92.86 compared to 92.43 for men. The findings suggest that driving safety is influenced more by behaviour than demographic factors such as gender.

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Among key risk indicators, sudden braking and harsh acceleration were identified as the weakest behavioural patterns among drivers, with scores of 87 and 91 respectively. Interestingly, the study noted that external factors such as seasonal changes, including monsoon rains and winter fog, had little impact on overall driving performance, which remained relatively consistent throughout the year.

The report highlights India’s ongoing road safety challenges, noting that the country records approximately 1.73 lakh road fatalities annually, accounting for nearly 11% of global road deaths. It also estimates that road accidents cost the economy between 3% and 5% of GDP, underscoring the scale of the issue beyond human loss.

Experts associated with the study emphasised that behavioural interventions, along with infrastructure improvements, are critical to reducing road accidents. With India aiming to cut road fatalities by 50% by 2030 under the Stockholm Declaration, the report stresses the need for technology-driven monitoring and awareness campaigns to promote safer driving habits across all user groups.

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