As Daylight Saving Time starts, drivers beware: when you snooze behind the wheel, you’ll lose, says AAA Northeast.
Today, many drivers on the way to work may still suffer the effects of the time change that occurred this past weekend. “This means drivers must be extra cautious when they’re behind the wheel,” says Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Driving drowsy is a form of impairment because it affects your judgment.”
Although an underreported issue, drowsy driving has caused approximately a million crashes, 500,000 injuries, and 8,000 deaths annually nationwide, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports.
In Connecticut, between 2018 and 2022, drowsy or fatigued driving resulted in 6,892 crashes of which 15 were fatalities and another 2,513 resulted in injuries, according to the UCONN Crash Data Repository.
A new AAA Foundation study finds many drivers are aware they’re tired but underestimate their level of tiredness. For example, in the study even though drivers rated their level of drowsiness as “low,” 75%, were in fact moderately or severely drowsy.
In another 2022 Traffic Safety Culture Index study, 95% of respondents said they view drowsy driving as very dangerous, but 19% admitted they drive anyway even though they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at least once in the previous month.
This is problematic, said Mayko because the adjustment period after the time change can be lengthy.
AAA shares these tips with drivers:
- Don’t rely on your body for warning signs of drowsiness; instead try to get at least seven hours of sleep before driving.
- Travel at times during the day when you’re fully awake; or at least be aware that you haven’t fully acclimated your habits to one less hour of sleep.
- Increase your following distance between you and the car in front of you.
- Watch for pedestrian and other vulnerable road users who are spending more time outdoors because of longer days.
- Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks and when backing up in parking lots or driveways.