Like everybody else on every second Sunday of March, you had to move your clocks forward last night for the annual change to daylight savings time. Stay alert if you hit the road, however, because the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) reports 23 percent more crashes on the Monday after the time change.
Sleep-deprived car drivers are responsible for various collisions, from hitting a pedestrian in an intersection or rear-ending the vehicle in front of you, to veering off of the road and into a parked car or a telephone pole.
Time changes reflect a change in social clocks not biological ones. Moreover, studies show that fatigue impairs brain functions as much as alcohol, reducing the ability of the mind and body to respond quickly and accurately behind the wheel.
The BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation offers the following tips for drivers:
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Sleep-deprived car drivers are responsible for various collisions, from hitting a pedestrian in an intersection or rear-ending the vehicle in front of you, to veering off of the road and into a parked car or a telephone pole.
Time changes reflect a change in social clocks not biological ones. Moreover, studies show that fatigue impairs brain functions as much as alcohol, reducing the ability of the mind and body to respond quickly and accurately behind the wheel.
The BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation offers the following tips for drivers:
- Avoid caffeine or other substances to wake you up because once they wear off you may feel even more fatigued.
- Drive with your headlights on during the darker morning commute for better visibility.
- Be aware of the increased number of people out walking in the evenings taking advantage of the extra daylight, especially in residential areas.