Having looked at Octobers AAIB bulletin (a totally invalid statistical sample) I see
2 Taxi accidents (broadly not looking where going)
4 departure accidents (3 departure stalls of which 2 fatal)
2 Landing accidents both involving inclement weather but both in VMC
Looking back at the other quite serious accidents, they have generally involved flight into IMC (or into terrain while possibly trying to avoid IMC) (some of them bizarrely have been current IR/IMC and in capable aircraft but still wound up planning to fly MVMC/IMC in mountains
). There were also two mid-airs and one IR pilot descending too early on an approach.
An IR/IMC doesn't help with the 8 in October or the mid-airs but does (when coupled with recent experience and an appropriate aircraft) with the 'continued VFR into IMC' which is probably the biggest fatal risk after takeoff accidents.