Does the change from daylight saving time to standard time make roads more dangerous? – Erin, Toronto
As fall approaches winter, your chances of hitting a pedestrian or cyclist do increase – but it’s not clear whether the time change alone is the culprit.
In Toronto, collisions between cars and pedestrians typically go up, on average, by about 30 per cent throughout the fall and into the winter – starting before the clocks fall back.
Toronto police say that’s because of fewer daylight hours and worsening road conditions – think streets slick with fallen leaves and, later, snow – and the spike lasts until the spring.
But does the time change itself, which happened at 2 a.m. Sunday, immediately lead to more crashes?
While there has been some research showing a slight bump in fatal crashes on the first Monday after daylight saving time begins in March, it generally hasn’t shown an immediate spike on the Monday after the return to standard time in November.
A 2020 study by researchers at the University of Colorado found that fatal crashes in the United States increased by 6 per cent during the work week after the March time change.
The study didn’t show a spike during the week after the November time change, but it did show a shift in when crashes happened. The number of morning accidents decreased and the number of evening accidents increased.
Forward thinking?
Most of us get about 40 minutes less sleep the night after the switch in spring. “Looking at sleep schedules, our bodies have a much harder time adapting when we go forward … compared to gaining an hour in the fall,” said Matthew Camden, a senior research associate at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s division of freight, transit and heavy vehicle safety.
But any time change could disrupt your sleep – and that can make you more tired and less alert on the road.
“Travelling across time zones or falling back is the same – there’s the chance of us becoming more tired,” Camden said.
To avoid the danger of driving drowsy after the time change, or any time, Camden recommends getting at least seven to eight hours sleep a night.
“One night’s rest may not be enough for someone who has experienced several sleepless nights,” he said. “[You’ll] need several days of restful sleep to compensate for the sleep debt.”
Also, watch out for signs of drowsy driving. If you’re yawning, fidgeting in your seat or having trouble holding your head up or staying in your lane, get off the road, Camden said.
More darkness, more danger
When it comes to pedestrian collisions, the real danger this time of year is reduced visibility as daylight hours decrease, Toronto police said.
They see the number of pedestrian collisions that happen between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. double in the months after the November time change, and the number of pedestrian collisions between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. increase by 400 per cent.
Police suggest drivers use their headlights rather than daytime running lights, watch carefully for other road users, especially when turning at intersections, and drive slowly enough for the road conditions, even if that means going below the speed limit.
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