New insurer claims data has revealed that 42% of car collisions happen around school pickup times, and parents are being urged to take extra care when driving their children to and from school in peak traffic.
IAG-owned company State Insurance revealed figures based on five years of claims data between the years of 2016 to 2020, which showed that the hours between 1pm and 5pm were the most common time period for collisions to happen. Collisions peak between 3-4pm, before dropping off to 13% for the evening hours of 6-9pm.
IAG executive general manager claims Dean MacGregor said the data is a “timely reminder” of the importance of attentive driving, sticking to the road rules and observing the speed limits in school zones to help prevent avoidable collisions. He also says that claims data gathered from insurers can be a valuable tool in raising awareness of the issue.
“IAG’s purpose is ‘to make your world a safer place’ and we think it’s important to promote safety information to help people avoid preventable accidents,” he said.
“Claims data can be useful for highlighting accident trends, which can in turn help raise awareness of when certain mistakes are more likely to happen.”
“We all lead very busy lives and when we’re rushing to pick up the kids from school at the same time, the chances of having an accident increase,” he added.
“We need to be patient, allow extra time to travel and follow the road rules to ensure the safety of children, pedestrians and ourselves.”
State Insurance says that if customers do get into an accident, it’s important to exchange details with the other driver, take photos of any damage to vehicles, obtain police reports, and the insurance details of the other person involved.
“The parking and pickup rules on school zones are in place to help keep everyone, especially children, safe and assist with traffic flow,” MacGregor said. “Following these rules will help ensure a safer journey for everyone.”
