Daydreaming while driving can be deadly—especially on a Saturday in September or May, according to a review of police data by Erie Insurance. At the other end of the spectrum, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in February were found to be the least likely days for fatal daydreaming.
Erie Insurance released the data to promote Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is in April.
In a previous analysis last March, Erie found that being “lost in thought” (daydreaming) was the No. 1 distraction associated with fatal crashes—responsible for 61 percent of crashes caused by distracted drivers compared to only 14 percent for cellphone use (talking, listening, texting or dialing).
The data is from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which includes information from police reports on the causes of fatal car crashes. The data is based largely on police officers’ judgment at the time of a crash and interviews with those involved. Erie Insurance consulted with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to analyze the data.
Erie’s review of the FARS data resulted in a ranked list of more than 84 combinations (with some ties) of days and months associated with daydreaming while driving. Below are the top and bottom five during 2013-2017:
Top 5 Days/Months
Bottom 5 Days/Months