Drowsy driving a risk at daylight saving time
Pushing the clocks forward one hour for daylight saving time on Sunday, March 10, will not only make the morning commute temporarily darker, but more sleep inducing for some.
The Institute for Rural Health and Safety said nationwide there are about a million crashes caused by drowsy driving per year, and driving on less than five hours of sleep can have a crash risk comparable to driving drunk.
AAA also warns drivers the time change could impact visibility which, coupled with the potential loss of an hour of sleep, could lead to more dangerous driving conditions. Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed drivers who don’t get enough sleep put everyone on the road at risk, and drowsy driving crashes are nearly eight times more prominent than indicated by federal estimates.
“Many will find on Monday that their normal morning commutes will be darker than they’re used to, which can be especially dangerous for pedestrians and children waiting at bus stops,” said Jim Garrity, director of public affairs for AAA East Central. “Moreover, less sleep can lead to an increase in the number of drowsy drivers, so motorists should prepare themselves to adjust to losing an hour of sleep and then driving in darker conditions.”
Amy Shellhammer, community traffic safety project coordinator for the Institute for Rural Health and Safety, said drivers should pay attention to how they are feeling while behind the wheel to avoid any risk of crashing.
“Some warning signs are trouble keeping eyes open, inability to keep head up, drifting out of your lane, yawning and rubbing eyes, missing signs or exits, feeling irritable or restless and forgetting how you traveled,” Shellhammer said. “If you feel tired, the best thing to do is to pull over and take a break or rest.”
