Top 3 Driving Precautions When Daylight Savings Begins
The time has come to #SpringForward. Once the wintry temps start to warm and the vibrant colors of spring start to appear, we know daylight savings is just around the corner. What began as a means to save energy during WWI has stuck around for decades as an accustomed part of our yearly calendar.
While many Americans await daylight savings for the hope of more sunshine, the change in timing can also have a powerful effect on a person’s sleeping and driving abilities. As a result, a driver’s safety can be put at a higher risk during this time of year.
In this post, drivers will gain helpful insight on the top 3 precautions to take when daylight savings begins, along with several tips on how to ease into the adjustment this spring.
Drowsy driving in daylight savings time
One of the biggest culprits of daylight savings is drowsy driving. As we turn the clocks ahead one hour, our bodies take notice of the change, making sleep less consistent and bringing forth an overall feeling of fatigue. Though this feeling may not last forever, for some Americans it can take days or even weeks to get their sleep schedule back on track.
Daylight savings time or #SpringForward begins on Sunday, March 14. Losing an hour of sleep can leave you feeling drowsy. 😴 Driving while drowsy delays reaction speed, decreases concentration, and impairs judgment.
If Driving While Drowsy -Take a Break. Drive Awake. pic.twitter.com/qe47DDcsM5
— Alamo Area MPO (@AlamoAreaMPO) March 11, 2021
Common signs of drowsy driving include difficulty keeping eyes open, forgetting how long you’ve been driving, and drifting in and out of lanes.
To avoid drowsy driving, it is imperative to dedicate enough hours of sleep each night so that when morning arrives fatigue will not affect your driving. The spring forward also brings forth more active evenings, with many adults and children spending more time outdoors after daylight savings begins.
For this reason, drivers must keep a vigilant watch for cyclists, joggers, pedestrians and children at play — and of course, avoid speeding at all costs.
Foggy headlights
During the spring and summer months, fatal crashes occur most frequently between 8pm and 11:59pm. To ensure safety, drivers must stay extra cautious while driving at this time. It also requires car owners to stay on-top of their vehicle maintenance.
With darker mornings ahead, poor headlight quality will make it difficult to see clearly. Impaired vision due to headlights is a serious safety concern and should not be neglected, thereby making daylight savings the perfect time to assess the condition of your headlights.
Whether you have to buy new headlights or find a product that makes your frosted headlights good as new, it is vital to keep track of your headlights’ condition. With summer soon approaching, you’ll thank yourself later that you made the upgrade or repair on your old headlamps as the summer heat is known to cause havoc.
School zones
This year many students transitioned to online learning, but there are still students attending school in person this spring session. Since spring daylight savings means children are arriving to school before the sun is fully up, it’s important for drivers to stay cautious of school zones. Also keeping in mind that kids are not always the best judge of traffic.
To keep students safe, it is recommended to:
- Slow down near schools and residential areas
- Always stop for school buses — students are likely boarding or unloading
- Keep an eye out for safety officials, specifically crossing guards, as an indication that children are close by
Following these basic guidelines will help drivers stay more aware once daylight savings begins, and prevent the possibility of fatal accidents from occurring.
Spring forward to safe driving practices
With springtime comes an opportunity to start fresh. The winter months leave many of us feeling dreary, especially when frigid temperatures never seem to end. As a responsible car owner, it is important to adjust your safety requirements in accordance with the time of year. Just as many drivers prepare their vehicle for winter conditions, they must also account for the safety risks associated with daylight savings.
By taking these 3 precautions seriously, drivers will implement safer driving practices once daylight savings begins and throughout the year ahead.
What is your reaction?
I’ve already seen so many people that clearly weren’t ready for daylight savings.
Great article. Everyone needs to be careful, especially in the morning when it may still be dark for some of you getting to work early.
Driving tired can be very dangerous, and you never know if another driver near you is about to fall asleep at thew wheel. I try to increase my distance between others at night too.
This is real! That lost hour of sleep in the morning is killing me this year.