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Halloween warning as taxi and minicab injury crashes rise 127% after 7pm on Saturday Halloweens
Taxi and private hire drivers are being urged to take extra care this Halloween after research found their vehicles were involved in 127% more collisions causing injury or death between 7pm and midnight on Saturday Halloweens than during the same hours on the Saturdays immediately before and after.
Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026. It is the first time the date has fallen on a Saturday without COVID-era restrictions since 2015, according to One Sure Insurance, which analysed Department for Transport collision and vehicle data.
The company compared Saturday Halloweens in 2009 and 2015 with the neighbouring Saturdays. Its analysis found a similar rise across vehicles recorded or classified as being used for work: 90% more appeared in personal-injury collision records after 7pm on Halloween than during the equivalent hours on surrounding weekends.
The research also found a pattern involving vans. Across six Halloween dates between 1981 and 2015, collisions involving at least one van were 44% higher between 7pm and midnight than on neighbouring Saturdays.
The warning comes as licensed driver numbers reach a record. The Department for Transport counted more than 417,000 taxi and private hire driver licences in England on 1 April 2026, up 9% from 2024.
A One Sure Insurance spokesperson said the findings highlighted the importance of driver safety as licensed driver and vehicle numbers rise.
They said: “With taxi and private hire driver licences and licensed vehicles at record levels in England, the findings are a stark reminder of the importance of driver safety. Although these vehicles are usually subject to additional licensing and inspection requirements compared with ordinary private cars, the clocks go back just six days before Halloween. Drivers should be prepared for a busy evening that gets darker earlier than usual.
“A Halloween that falls on a Saturday night creates an unusual set of circumstances, with people travelling to parties, nightlife hotspots and trick-or-treating. Our analysis shows vehicles being used for work appeared more frequently in injury collisions recorded by police forces during the annual festivities. For those driving this Halloween for work, ensure you anticipate a potentially busy evening with unique conditions.”
