Official UNECE Data
The Deadliest Day of the Week to Drive
Weekends kill. Across 43 countries with official UNECE day-of-week data, Saturday is the single deadliest day in 23 countries and Sunday in 4 more — even though far fewer people commute on those days. Friday-to-Sunday accounts for roughly half of all road deaths in many countries: more alcohol, more speed, more night driving, more recreational trips. The table shows each country's deadliest day and the share of deaths that fall on the Friday–Sunday window.
| # | Country | Deadliest day | Weekend share of deaths | Deaths (year) | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyprus | Saturday | 59.5% | 37 | 2022 |
| 2 | Latvia | Friday | 54.3% | 138 | 2023 |
| 3 | Portugal | Saturday | 53.6% | 642 | 2023 |
| 4 | Croatia | Saturday | 52.6% | 274 | 2023 |
| 5 | Slovenia | Friday | 52.4% | 82 | 2023 |
| 6 | Belarus | Saturday | 51.7% | 575 | 2020 |
| 7 | Lithuania | Friday | 51.3% | 160 | 2023 |
| 8 | Estonia | Saturday | 50.8% | 59 | 2023 |
| 9 | Norway | Friday | 50.6% | 87 | 2024 |
| 10 | France | Saturday | 49.5% | 3,154 | 2023 |
| 11 | Hungary | Friday | 49.2% | 472 | 2023 |
| 12 | United States | Saturday | 49.2% | 42,939 | 2021 |
| 13 | Serbia | Saturday | 49% | 514 | 2024 |
| 14 | Ireland | Saturday | 48.9% | 180 | 2023 |
| 15 | Finland | Friday | 48.6% | 185 | 2023 |
| 16 | Spain | Saturday | 48.6% | 1,806 | 2023 |
| 17 | Austria | Friday | 48.5% | 402 | 2023 |
| 18 | Kazakhstan | Saturday | 48.4% | 2,425 | 2022 |
| 19 | Italy | Saturday | 48.2% | 3,039 | 2023 |
| 20 | Belgium | Friday | 48.1% | 501 | 2023 |
| 21 | Sweden | Friday | 47.6% | 227 | 2022 |
| 22 | Greece | Sunday | 47.5% | 646 | 2023 |
| 23 | Canada | Sunday | 47.3% | 2,000 | 2023 |
| 24 | United Kingdom | Friday | 47.3% | 1,695 | 2023 |
| 25 | Turkey | Saturday | 46.2% | 6,351 | 2024 |
| 26 | Ukraine | Saturday | 46.1% | 2,791 | 2022 |
| 27 | Slovakia | Friday | 45.9% | 266 | 2023 |
| 28 | Kyrgyzstan | Saturday | 45.8% | 690 | 2022 |
| 29 | Bulgaria | Saturday | 45.5% | 525 | 2023 |
| 30 | Netherlands | Saturday | 44.6% | 608 | 2023 |
| 31 | Poland | Sunday | 44.5% | 1,893 | 2023 |
| 32 | Czech Republic | Friday | 43.6% | 502 | 2023 |
| 33 | Germany | Friday | 43.4% | 2,839 | 2023 |
| 34 | Israel | Friday | 43.3% | 439 | 2024 |
| 35 | Moldova | Saturday | 43.1% | 209 | 2024 |
| 36 | Romania | Saturday | 43% | 1,545 | 2023 |
| 37 | Malta | Saturday | 42.9% | 28 | 2022 |
| 38 | Azerbaijan | Saturday | 42.5% | 764 | 2024 |
| 39 | Luxembourg | Saturday | 42.3% | 26 | 2023 |
| 40 | Albania | Sunday | 41.7% | 175 | 2024 |
| 41 | Switzerland | Saturday | 41.1% | 236 | 2023 |
| 42 | North Macedonia | Friday | 40.9% | 127 | 2023 |
| 43 | Denmark | Friday | 40.1% | 162 | 2023 |
Source: UNECE Transport Statistics (persons killed, latest complete year per country). "Weekend share" = Friday+Saturday+Sunday deaths ÷ total.
Related
The Deadliest Month for Driving
The other half of the when-do-people-die question, from the same official dataset.
Questions
FAQ
What day of the week do most fatal accidents happen?
In most countries with official data, Saturday — it is the single deadliest day in 23 of 43 countries in UNECE statistics, driven by alcohol, higher speeds and more night and recreational driving. Sunday ranks first in 4 more.
Why are weekends more dangerous for driving?
Four reasons dominate crash investigations: more drink-driving, higher average speeds on emptier roads, more night-time driving, and more unfamiliar recreational routes. Weekday crashes are more numerous in some countries, but weekend crashes are deadlier per crash.