Zuno General Insurance, a digital insurer, has released its India Road Safety Report (IRSR) 2026, which it says found that 9 PM to 10 PM is the riskiest hour for driving in India, based on an analysis of users of its SmartDrive app.
According to the report, the average driving score during that hour was 86, compared with 93 between 1 PM and 2 PM, which the company identified as the safest hour of the day. The findings are based on Zuno's analysis of more than 4.5 million trips and 55 million kilometers of driving data from over 27,000 active SmartDrive app users across 17 states. The company said the results suggest driving patterns offer more insight into road risk than demographic factors, and pointed to a need for behavior-focused road safety interventions.
Among the report's other findings, Zuno said women recorded an average driving score of 92.86 and men 92.43, a difference the company described as negligible. It also said driving scores remained largely stable through the day before declining after 8 PM, and that sudden braking and harsh acceleration were the weakest behavioral parameters observed among Indian motorists, with scores of 87 and 91 respectively. The company said seasonal conditions had limited impact on driving behavior, with scores remaining broadly consistent across summer, monsoon and winter months.
The report also stated that behavioral factors account for more than 80% of road accidents in India, citing the role of speeding, distraction and unsafe maneuvers, and recommended a combination of awareness campaigns, enforcement and technology-based interventions to address them.
Shanai Ghosh, MD and CEO of Zuno General Insurance, said road safety remains a major public challenge in India with implications for lives, livelihoods and economic productivity. She said the company's SmartDrive data shows that road accidents are often linked to identifiable and measurable behavioral patterns, and that data and technology can complement infrastructure, enforcement and vehicle safety measures in improving road safety outcomes.
The press release also cited broader road safety statistics, noting that India records approximately 173,000 road fatalities annually, accounting for close to 11% of global road deaths, and that road accidents impose an economic cost estimated at 3-5% of GDP. It said nearly two-thirds of fatalities involve people aged 18 to 45, with two-wheeler riders accounting for 44% of road deaths and pedestrians accounting for roughly 19%. These figures were presented in the release without a cited source.
The report frames its findings in the context of India's commitment under the Stockholm Declaration to cut road fatalities by half by 2030, calling for coordinated action across infrastructure, enforcement and behavioral interventions.
Zuno General Insurance, formerly known as Edelweiss General Insurance, is a digital insurer that began operations in 2018. The company says it serves more than 9 million customers and has partnerships with several automakers, financial services firms and digital platforms across India.