End of Daylight Savings Time: Road Safety
The time to scamper throughout the house and/or car while on a mission to change the "old fashion" or analog clocks back one hour is upon us again. Daylight Savings Time came to an end this year on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 2 AM.
This marks the welcomed change from the bright scorching temperatures of summer to darker cooler days of autumn and winter. Before you get too excited for the infamous "extra hour of sleep," the re-emergence of Standard Time can have some potentially dangerous side effects directly related to road safety.
During the first couple of weeks after the time change, there is generally an increase in the average amount of crash rates due to fatigued drivers who have not yet acclimated.
It is not only fatigued driving that can affect road safety, shorter hours of daylight, increased variance in weather patterns, and even the angle of the sun can be just as dangerous to drivers and pedestrians alike.
How can drivers adjust to these seasonal challenges? Easy: Schedule, Speed, Space.
Schedule:
Preparation and an earlier start will remove anxiousness and the urge to rush about; both of which are often the basis for poor decision-making, increasing the likelihood of a crash. Also, remember during wet weather crashes will inevitably occur. Give yourself a small buffer of time and know an alternate route(s) to your destination to avoid being involved in the crash or delayed by one.
Speed:
DON'T. It is simple physics. The faster a vehicle is traveling, the more distance needed to stop is required. Combine those factors with less time to react to a potential hazard and you have a costly recipe for disaster. Remember: Speeding tickets and crashes are expensive but not as costly as your life. Drive with due regard to prevailing conditions.
Space:
No one likes a vehicle riding its rear bumper, and absolutely no one likes a vehicle occupying the space in their backseat because of a rear-end crash. Time-Distance. By increasing the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front you are giving yourself time to react to a potential hazard. Leave the tailgating for the football stadium parking lots.
Bonus Tip -
Vehicle Maintenance: Just as important as the previous three points. Make especially sure your vehicle's headlamps, taillamps, brakes, tires, and windshield wipers are in proper working order. You need to see, be seen, and stop.
You can be the most road safety-conscious driver but if your vehicle is unsafe, you are unsafe.
And as always, do not drive impaired.
Stay Safe!
PTSS Committee
