'Nightmare' school runs and shopping testing motorists

The most dangerous and stressful time to drive is a perfect storm of work, family and personal errands.

New research has identified 3pm as the most incident-prone hour on Australia's roads, with more than half of all drivers considering it the most stressful time to get behind the wheel.

In the past year alone, close to a quarter of Australians have experienced a road incident during the 3pm rush, a study released Thursday by insurance company, Youi, revealed.

School pick ups accounted for 14 per cent of the traffic with shopping, at 40 per cent, the most common reason people were on the roads, followed by appointments on 29 per cent.

Working Mum, Roseli Diniz described the daily school run as a "nightmare".

"There's people doing the maneuvers and crossing double lines because everybody has the same issues with nowhere to park to pick up their kids."

A quarter of respondents said improving school pick-up zone management would improve safety and reduce stress during the afternoon rush.

"If they had spaces for us to park that would be one way," Ms Diniz said.

As well as time pressure, inattention and fatigue were identified as major contributors to road incidents.

"Recognising where your attention is focused before the ignition starts is one of the simplest ways drivers can improve safety," said Road Sense Australia chief executive, Michael Fitzgibbins.

"Simple actions such as planning ahead, reducing distractions, putting your phone away and allowing extra travel time can make a meaningful difference.

"The safest decision during the 3pm rush is often made before the engine even starts."