By Chris Green
Fridays are the most dangerous day of the week to get in a car or be a pedestrian in Scotland, official figures have revealed.
A combination of busier roads, people being tired after a long week at work, and the start of weekend getaways are all thought to contribute to the trend.
The phenomenon was highlighted in annual statistics published by Transport Scotland, which examined the number of casualties recorded on roads.
This showed that the number of adult car user casualties recorded on Fridays was 15 per cent higher than the daily average between 2020 and 2024.
Over the same period, the number of adult pedestrian casualties on Fridays was also significantly higher (24 per cent) than the daily average.
The same trend was observed among children, with injuries and deaths on Fridays found to be 29 per cent higher than the average day among those aged up to 15.
The figures also showed that the most dangerous time to be behind the wheel of a car, or a passenger, is between 4pm to 6pm on weekdays during the afternoon commute.
Stewart Mackie of IAM RoadSmart
Stewart Mackie, road safety manager for Scotland at IAM RoadSmart, a charity working to improve driving standards, said the trend could be explained by several factors.
“Fridays are often the most dangerous day on Scotland’s roads because they combine the end-of-week commuter rush with the start of weekend travel,” he told 1919.
“Drivers may be tired, in a hurry, and roads are already busy – and at this time of year, wintry conditions add further risk.
“It’s vital to slow down, plan ahead, and never drive under the influence.”
Dr Samantha Jamson, professor of transport psychology at the University of Leeds, said there was a “relative increase in traffic on Fridays” across Britain.
“This is true across all road types, and would therefore partially be able to explain the increase in pedestrian casualties, which mainly occur in urban areas,” she added.
However, she said it was difficult to be definitive about the precise cause of the phenomenon.
The Transport Scotland report also revealed that 161 people were killed in collisions on Scotland’s roads last year, a 12 per cent rise in the number recorded in 2023.
It also highlighted that based on current progress, none of Scotland’s four key road casualty reduction targets will be met by 2030.
This deadline was set in the Road Safety Framework published in 2021, with the aim of significantly cutting the number of adults and children killed or seriously injured.
1919 has previously revealed how the number of Scottish drivers being caught behind the wheel of defective cars is soaring as people struggle to pay for repairs.
A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said gathering detailed data on road casualties, such as the day they took place, was “critical to inform targeted road safety measures”.
“This ensures interventions are evidence-led, and helps maximise the impact of our record levels of investment as we continue working towards the targets set out in the Road Safety Framework,” they added.
“In practice, this is the type of insight we highlight to our partners, including local authorities and Police Scotland at our key priority groups and partnership forums.”