LEXINGTON, Ky. — Beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 5, Daylight Saving Time comes to an end, resulting in fewer daylight hours. In support of Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which runs from Nov. 5-11, AAA is reminding motorists to be prepared for sun glare during their Monday morning commute and for reduced visibility on the road during their Monday evening commute.
“The end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend will bring shorter days and longer nights,” said Lori Weaver Hawkins, public affairs manager, AAA Blue Grass. “Night driving brings challenges, so we urge motorists to slow down, increase their following distance, use headlights to make yourself more visible, and be extra cautious on the roadways.”
The time change can cause disturbed sleep patterns, and when combined with the earlier dusk and darkness during the evening commute, become a formula for drowsy driving and fatigue-related crashes – conditions many drivers may be unaware of during the time change.
Although underreported in government statistics, previous research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has estimated that 16% to 21% of all police-reported fatal vehicle crashes likely involve drowsy driving.
“While many will enjoy an extra hour of sleep this weekend, few commuters and motorists realize the added dangers that can come as the result of a time change – especially when they are behind the wheel,” said Weaver Hawkins. “This one hour shift in time during the fall not only creates darker driving conditions, it can also disturb sleep patterns, perhaps even resulting in drowsy driving episodes.”
When clocks “fall back” in autumn, drowsy driving becomes a significant threat to motorists, cautions AAA. That is because their evening commute will now take place in darkness.
Symptoms of drowsy driving can include having trouble keeping eyes open, drifting from lanes or not remembering the last few miles driven. However, more than half of drivers involved in fatigue-related crashes experienced no symptoms before falling asleep behind the wheel.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2020 Traffic Safety Culture Index data shows that most motorists (95%) identify drowsy driving as very or extremely dangerous. Yet, despite high rates of perceived danger and personal/social disapproval regarding drowsy driving, about 17% of drivers admit to having driven while being so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open, at least once in the past 30 days.
