You already dislike Daylight Saving Time in the spring. Michigan still uses this system, forcing everyone to “spring forward” once a year and then “fall back” in the fall. While the second one isn’t so bad, giving you an extra hour to sleep, the change in the spring means you lose an hour of sleep. If you already have to get up at 6:00 for work, now it feels like you’re getting up at 5:00.
Well, now you have another reason to dislike the change: Researchers have linked it to an increase in car accidents, injuries and fatalities. Some have even said that it is one of the single most dangerous days to be on the road every year.
Deadly accident data reported by FARS (the Fatality Analysis Reporting System) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) showed that the number of fatal crashes went up by a full 17% on that first Monday following the time change. Technically, the time changes on Sunday, but the impact is most keenly felt on Monday when people have to get up and go to work.
The reasons are fairly clear: Drivers are tired. They may also be in a rush if they slept in. Some of them may be trying to drink coffee while they drive. All of those things can cause car accidents, and Daylight Saving Time puts them all into play on the same fateful morning.
If you get injured in an accident caused by a tired driver, whether Daylight Saving Time plays into it or not, make sure you know what legal rights you have to financial compensation.
