Why Thursday May Be The Best Day To Work From Home
While working remotely is becoming an increasingly popular option for employees, some employers limit the option to work from home to a few times a week. If working from home is an option, and you get to choose which days to work remotely, you may be tempted to stay home on Fridays to make it feel more like a “three-day weekend.”
If you drive to work, Thursdays may be the best day to work from home and here’s why.
“Fatal Thursdays”
If you commute to work by driving, there’s probably a good chance that you travel on highways and interstates, as it’s typically the fastest and most direct route to work. While your morning commute may be stop and go due to the typical daily traffic, but you may be at greater risk to be involved in a fatal car accident on Thursday mornings.
“Fatal Thursdays” refers to the day of the week when the highest rate of accidents with a tractor trailer occur. Since large trucks are no match for smaller vehicles, many of the accidents result in severe injuries and fatalities.
According to federal data and Crash Facts Books, the most dangerous time to share highways and interstates with tractor trailers is between 6am and 3pm on Thursdays. Even though you may have a different work schedule, 6 to 3 is a common work schedule for many.
Why is this time and day particularly hazardous? Like all car accidents, there are several contributing factors to consider, but many experts believe that the accidents are more likely to occur on Thursdays during the time slot because drivers are on a tight schedule and trying to meet a deadline.
Friday is the second-most dangerous day to travel, but the crash statistics are significantly lower than Thursdays.
Tips For Avoiding a Fatal Accident
What if you can’t work from home or your need to travel on a Thursday? “Fatal Thursdays” aren’t meant to scare you away from traveling at all, but it’s important to be aware of the potential dangers and know how to avoid being in an otherwise preventable accident.
Since the accidents are more likely to occur between 6am and 3pm, try to arrive at work a little earlier or see if you can work in the evening to avoid some of the busiest times on the road. If you can’t change your schedule, there are other things you can do to stay safer while driving.
Distracted driving is a major contributing factor in accidents and even you’re not on your phone, you can still be distracted by a variety of things from passengers to changing the radio station. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes and mind on the road, especially when sharing the road with larger vehicles like tractor trailers.
It’s also essential that you know how to drive around large trucks. Keep in mind that even though semis are some of the biggest vehicles on the road, they have limited visibility and it takes them longer to come to a full stop.
Whenever possible, stay out of a truck’s blind spot and if you need to pass, do it quickly and make sure you signal. Never cut off a truck by changing lanes suddenly. Keeping a safe distance from a large truck is important, but even more so during inclement weather where ice, snow, or wet roads are likely.
