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AAA warns drivers of drowsiness after DST ends

On Behalf of | Nov 4, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

In anticipation of the end of daylight saving time, AAA is warning people in Virginia and across the U.S. of the danger of drowsy driving. One might think that an extra hour of sleep will reduce the chances of drowsy driving, but the change in the sleep schedule will have an impact on the body’s internal clock. Drivers may have trouble concentrating on the road in the days subsequent to this change.

What increases the risk for drowsiness is that many will stay up later than usual the night before daylight saving time ends. AAA recommends, on the contrary, that everyone go to bed at the time they normally would. Drowsy driving, it should be pointed out, is behind approximately 328,000 car crashes every year in this country. Approximately 6,400 people die and 50,000 incur debilitating injuries in these crashes, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

With the end of daylight saving time, the sun will be setting sooner. This means decreased visibility for drivers making their commute home, which in turn puts not only other drivers but also pedestrians, cyclists and schoolchildren at risk for an accident. Drivers are advised to turn on their headlights in the early morning and evening and to slow down. They should avoid using their high beams around pedestrians or other vehicles.

Victims of motor vehicle accidents who believe that the other side was at fault may want a lawyer to evaluate their case. It could be that the other side was drowsy or driving dangerously in the night. Whatever the situation might have been, victims may be able to file a claim against that driver’s insurance company in the effort to be reimbursed for economic and non-economic damages. The lawyer may assist in building up the case and take on the task of negotiating a settlement.