Be extra careful when driving home from work on a Friday evening - this is when most car accidents happen, according to statistics from insurer Aviva.

Based on numbers from its car insurance claims last year, the company found that 48 per cent of bumps and crashes on a Friday take place between 5.30pm and 8pm. On Mondays, 26 per cent of accidents happen during the same time period.

Psychologist Daniel Koh believes there could be more distractions on Friday evenings, when people are focused on their destinations or activities. "More people in the car and having fun may contribute to this distraction, as well as making arrangements by handphone," he said, adding that it is a time when people "switch off" after a stressful week and they may get more impatient when traffic is heavy.

Property agent Ken Gwee, 29, a driver of about 10 years, said Friday evenings are "the worst". Traffic is especially heavy as people travel into the city as well, adding to the regular crowd leaving work, he said.

Other findings show that the most common type of accident is a front-to-rear collision, making up over 40 per cent of reported cases. Other types of collision, such as front-to-side collisions and chain collisions, made up 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

More than one in 10 accidents took place in carparks, while 23 per cent happened along expressways. But more than half of the total were still on the roads, with the top 10 hot spots including "black spots" identified by the Land Transport Authority. These include Alexandra Road, Balestier Road, Clementi Road and Upper Serangoon Road.

Black spots can be roads undergoing major works or exposed to construction projects nearby.

Aviva also saw that men are 1.4 times more likely to get into an accident than women.

Close to two in five claims last year were from drivers claiming against their own policy for damage.