OHIO — Daylight saving time (DST) ends this weekend and could impact drivers.
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Beginning at 2 a.m. on Sunday, we will see fewer daylight hours and AAA is reminding drivers to be prepared for sun glare for Monday morning’s commute and reduced visibility during their Monday evening commute, a AAA spokesperson said.
“The end of Daylight-Saving Time this weekend will bring shorter days and longer nights,” said Kara Hitchens, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA. “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 also disrupt sleep patterns and combined with the earlier dusk and darkness during the evening commute, it can become a formula for drowsy driving and fatigue-related crashes, according to the spokesperson.
“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 Hitchens. “This one-hour shift in time during the fall not only creates darker driving conditions, but it can also disrupt sleep patterns, perhaps even resulting in drowsy driving episodes.”
>>Daylight saving 2023: Here’s what a sleep expert says about the time change
AAA says drowsy driving is a “significant threat” to drivers because their evening commute will now take place in darkness.
Symptoms of drowsy driving include having trouble keeping eyes open, drifting from the lanes, or not remembering the last few miles driven.
But, more than half of drivers involved in deadly crashes experienced no symptoms before falling asleep behind the wheel, AAA says.