The most dangerous day of the year?

By Sean Coughlan
BBC News Magazine

If you're going anywhere today, be very careful. Because the odds of something unpleasant happening are stacking up.

Early November means fireworks, more car crashes and burglaries

Like a particularly ominous alignment of the stars, there are a series of different dangers all coinciding.

Burglary statistics increase sharply on 5 November, early November sees a rise in road accident rates, and the so-called "fatal Friday" phenomenon makes this the day of the week most likely to have serious road accidents.

Adding to the cocktail of risk, this has also become the time of year when drink-driving is at its worst.

And that's not to mention any injuries from fireworks or bonfires.

Burglaries increase by 25% above average on bonfire night, says the Home Office, which is warning people to make sure they secure their homes.

Big day for burglars

But why should this be such a big day for burglars?

The Home Office says that bonfire night, and the onset of dark evenings, provide ideal cover for break-ins.

Friday has a much higher number of serious road accidents

Many people are out for the evening at fireworks displays - or in their back gardens and unaware of what's happening at the front of the house.

And the noise of fireworks creates enough distractions to take away attention from burglars forcing their way into houses.

Chris Dyer, from crime prevention charity Crime Concern, says that the pre-Christmas period, from about October onwards, is associated with an increase in break-ins.

And "burglars like as many distractions as possible", he says, which makes fireworks, bonfires and empty houses an attractive combination for criminals.

Burglary can often be an opportunistic crime, he warns, taking advantage of an open window or unlocked door, and carried out very quickly.

'Fatal Fridays'

It's also a good idea to drive carefully at this time of year.

Burglaries increase by 25% on 5 November

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the road casualty rate - which sets accidents against miles driven - peaks each year in November.

RoSPA blames the increase on the clocks going back at the end of British Summer Time - and it says scrapping this changeover would mean 450 fewer deaths and serious injuries from road accidents.

And today - as every Friday - is another accident blackspot. Described by the RAC Foundation as "fatal Friday", there is a longstanding pattern that this day of the week sees a surge in the number of serious traffic accidents.

The average number of deaths and serious injuries on weekdays at 5pm is 180, but on Fridays this rises substantially to 256.

Edmund King of the RAC Foundation says that tired drivers hurrying home on a Friday evening are particularly susceptible to accidents.

"It's the end of a long week and people are thinking more about what they're doing at the weekend rather than what's on the road in front of them," he says.

Accident blackspots

This Friday factor is compounded this time of year by other increased risks, he says, such as darker evenings and the threat of poorer driving conditions, such as fog and early morning frosts.

Adding to the danger, drink-driving is more common at this time of year, says Mr King.

Drivers are deterred from mixing drink and cars at Christmas by high-profile advertising campaigns and the increased risk of getting caught.

But the autumn has remained as one of the worst times of the year for levels of drink-driving.

While Friday is the most dangerous day to be on the roads, there are also times of the day when car crashes are more common.

National Statistics says the peak times for car accidents are the morning and evening rush hours, about 8am and 5pm - while for pedestrians, the danger time is around 3pm.

And if you want to travel when it's safest, the least number of injuries to drivers and pedestrians is at 4am.

So lock up, drive carefully. And tomorrow you can breathe a sigh of relief and say TGINF.