How To Adjust When Daylight Savings Time Ends
Adjusting our ability to drive safely is an ongoing battle. Dealing with other road users and road defects is challenging enough, but dealing with a once-a-year change can mess up a few people. Bring in the end of Daylight Savings Time.
Fall signifies the end of Daylight Saving Time, a time when many people may look forward to resetting their clocks. In many cases, an additional hour of sleep is often a difficult thing to come by so many people do like to take advantage of this change. However, having this one-hour change can have a negative impact on many people when it comes to road safety.
When Daylight Saving Time ends, although it’s only a one-hour difference, it can have a big impact on your sleep cycle. Drowsy driving is a leading cause of collisions on our roads. It’s been known that the average number of vehicle collisions rises during late afternoon and evening rush hour in the first 30 days after Daylight Savings Time ends. Now is the time to stay ahead of the time change and be prepared to make the for the end of Daylight Saving Time.
With this change, there have to be a few things we can do to help reduce the risks of vehicle collisions while we get used to the change in our natural light and our internal clocks. There is. Here are several tips and reminders that drivers of all experience levels can use while they get used to the change of light after Daylight Savings Time has ended.
The change in time can affect both the quality of your sleep and your body’s internal clock. This can cause you to become drowsy at the wheel, which is one of the leading causes of vehicle collisions and injuries. Year after year there seems to be an increase in the number of vehicle collisions in the days following the end of Daylight Savings Time compared to the exact amount of time before the end.
Know the warning signs
We know it’s not just the lack of natural light that affects drivers when Daylight Savings Time ends. It’s also the fact that drowsy driving can increase. Look for signs of drowsy driving at any time of year, but especially over the few weeks after Daylight Savings Time has ended.
Things like yawning, excessive blinking, missing an exit, or drifting into another lane can all indicate that you’re becoming too drowsy to drive. This change of time may be catching up with you. If you start experiencing any of these effects, it’s time to pull over and take a short rest or even take a brisk walk to get the blood flowing.
Drive defensively
Although you may be feeling alert not everyone else is. You should be aware of other drivers who drift across lane markings between the lanes or those who may abruptly stop. Increasing your following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you will allow you to make a smooth stop, even though they may not.
Following at a safe distance also gives you more time to react in any situation on the road regardless of lighting. Having a decreased amount of visibility during the darker afternoon commute can also affect your depth perception and peripheral vision.
Keep your headlights on
The time change will often mean that your regular travel habits are now taking place during the twilight hours when visibility is reduced. Although driving in twilight can seem fairly bright, using your full headlight system during these transition times makes a big difference.
Your full headlight system will also activate your taillights but in most vehicles, the daytime running lights do not illuminate the taillights. In many vehicles, the “auto” headlight function also illuminates the taillights, but some do not. Be sure to check those lights before committing to using them. Your full headlight system will allow other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians a better chance to see your vehicle and you’ll help to keep everyone safer.
If the dashboard lights are too bright during this transition of light to dark, be sure to dim the interior dashboard lights to help you reduce any glare they may create help your focus stay on the road and reduce some of the internal distractions.
Plan for a good night’s sleep
With everyone’s busy life, the end of Daylight Savings Time always seems to sneak up on us, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Plan your first night accordingly well before the end is in sight. Start going to bed early, reduce the amount of caffeine, and avoid exercising late in the day when the time change is approaching so you can get a better sleep and wake up more alert and refreshed.
Take it slow
Although you may feel pretty normal, the time shift can cause a distraction for you and disrupt your normal reaction time. For this reason, it would be wise to take things slow. Give yourself more time to slow down and stop at intersections. You may also want to be sure you’re well below the speed limit in school zones, and approach pedestrian crossings with additional caution. You may need more time than usual immediately after the end of Daylight Savings Time to react and come to complete stops.
Remember to share the road and create space
Just in case you had forgotten, it’s not just you who’s on a new schedule. All of the other road users are too. Give other vehicles and bicycles additional space and leave extra room for potential mistakes that may happen – from you or them. Pedestrians may forget that the dark clothing they may be wearing can make it difficult for drivers to see them.
When it comes to pedestrians, they may be under the belief that because they can see you, you can see them. That’s not always the case. Watch for pedestrians walking along poorly lit roadways in the mornings and early evenings. Look for additional movement while at intersections in case a pedestrian decides to run across the road.