Some people love Daylight Saving Time (DST) and some hate it. Many want to put an end to the practice of changing our clocks twice a year, though there’s some conflict about whether we should stick with standard time or DST. Here’s a factor you don’t hear much about: the time change increases your risk of being killed in a car accident or hit by a car as a pedestrian.
Why Does the Time Change Increase Traffic Fatalities?
Right after the time change, there is reportedly a 6% increase in traffic fatalities. But why? Changing the clocks actually impacts traffic safety in two ways.
Increased Traffic Risks When the Clocks “Fall Back”
As we “fall back” in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 3, we’ll gain an hour of sleep. That’s great! Most of us are always running a bit behind. But there’s a trade-off. When we turn back the clocks, we lose an hour of daylight. Of course, at this time of year, the daylight hours are shrinking anyway. But, they’re doing it gradually. When the time changes, it happens abruptly.
For example, in Charleston, the sun will set at 6:27 p.m. on Saturday, November 2. On Sunday, November 3, Charleston residents will see the sun set at 5:26 p.m. For many people, that’s the difference between driving home from work in full daylight and driving at twilight–or even in the dark.
According to the National Safety Council, most car accidents happen between 4 p.m. and 7:59 p.m.–a time slot that includes both sunset for most of the year and the most common time for commuting home from work. From November to March–during Daylight Saving Time–that time block also sees the most fatal traffic accidents. During the summer months, when the sun stays out later, the peak time for fatal car crashes shifts to between 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.
Be particularly careful when driving in the early evening following the time change, and be alert to whether you need to turn on your headlights for your drive home from work on Monday, even though you didn’t need them on Friday in the months before.
Drowsy Driving Increases When We “Spring Ahead”
When the time changes in the spring, there’s another big jump. This time, sunset gets later. That’s a good thing, but again there’s another side to the coin. This time, it’s that lost hour of sleep. A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed that 17.6% of fatal motor vehicle crashes across a five-year period involved a fatigued driver. Previous research showed that even a slight reduction in the recommended number of hours of sleep (5-6 versus 7-9) substantially increased the risk of a traffic accident.
The time changing on Saturday night/Sunday morning allows many people to absorb this lost hour by sleeping in, but that’s not true for everyone. If possible, get to bed earlier on the night before the spring time change or sleep later. Whether you’ve gotten enough sleep or not, be especially alert on the road–even if you’re well rested you are likely sharing the road with many who have been affected by the time change.
Injured in a Car Accident?
While outside factors like the time change can impact risks on the road, nearly all car accidents can be avoided. In other words, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, chances are good that it happened because someone did something wrong. Talk to an experienced Charleston car accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident to learn how to protect your claim and pursue fair compensation.