Sleepy drivers and tired workers dealing with Daylight Saving Time can cause fatal accidents.
Once again, everyone in Indiana and Illinois turned their clocks ahead one hour as Daylight Saving Time began at two o’clock on the morning of Sunday, March 8, 2020. Most of us will be feeling the loss of that hour of sleep this week, if not longer.
It is important that everyone is aware of the increased risk of a serious or fatal accident right now, as studies show that the risk of severe and deadly bodily injury rises immediately after we “spring forward” for the annual time change.
While some may scoff at the idea of one hour’s time difference making such an impact on fatality rates, researchers explain that the forced time change has a neurological impact on the human body. The “spring forward” of the clock (as well as the return or “fall back” each November) results in a loss of sleep of at least 15-20 minutes. This is enough to impact the body’s brain function and our corresponding ability to function with alert awareness.
“It’s not one hour twice a year. It’s a misalignment of our biologic clocks for eight months of the year. When we talk about DST and the relationship to light we are talking about profound impacts on the biological clock, which is a structure rooted in the brain. It impacts brain functions such as sleep-wake patterns and daytime alertness.”
For more, read: Malow, Beth A., Olivia J. Veatch, and Kanika Bagai. “Are Daylight Saving Time Changes Bad for the Brain?” Jama Neurology 77.1 (2020): 9-10.
More Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents Immediately After Daylight Saving Time
Driving the roads of Illinois and Indiana will be more dangerous right now. Sleep-deprived drivers may commit errors or mistakes due to a lack of alertness while operating their car, SUV, pickup, or taxi, Uber, semi-truck, big rig, 18-wheeler, or tractor-trailer truck.
The danger of dying in a fatal motor vehicle accident rises immediately after we “spring forward” for Daylight Saving Time.
How big is the risk? A recent study by the University of Colorado warns that fatal motor vehicle accidents jump 6% during the first week of Daylight Savings Time. Fritz, Josef, et al. “A chronobiological evaluation of the acute effects of daylight saving time on traffic accident risk.” Current biology 30.4 (2020): 729-735.
Increase in Deadly Workplace Accidents after Daylight Saving Time Begins
Workplace injuries and job site accidents are more likely to result in a fatality immediately after the start of Daylight Saving Time, as well. Workers are tired and sleep-deprived after clocks “spring forward,” resulting in a greater chance of error or mistake with tragic consequences.
In one study into the correlation between the time change and worksite injuries, researchers explain that Daylight Saving Time:
“…place[s] employees in clear and present danger. Such changes put employees in a position in which they are more likely to be injured—these injuries being especially severe, and perhaps resulting in death. “It is not often that management and applied psychology researchers can highlight effects that can lead to death, but our research points in that direction. These findings beg for immediate attention ….”
See: Barnes, Christopher M., and David T. Wagner. “Changing to daylight saving time cuts into sleep and increases workplace injuries.” Journal of applied psychology 94.5 (2009): 1305 (emphasis added).
The Sleep Foundation cautions there is a known correlation between sleepiness and work injuries, pointing to studies where sleepy workers are 70% more likely to have an accident on the job than workers who are not sleepy. One study found that sleepy workers are almost twice as likely to die in a job-site accident.
Drowsiness and Sleep Deprivation as Cause of Fatal Accidents
Any fatality or serious injury resulting from a workplace incident or a motor vehicle accident in either Indiana or Illinois must be investigated to learn the various causes or reasons for what has happened. There must be an examination of all the surrounding circumstances to determine why someone has been permanently harmed or killed.
However, any severe or fatal bodily injury that happens in a crash or on a job site during the first few weeks of March must include an investigation into whether or not Daylight Saving Time sleep deprivation contributed to the event.
Was the car crash caused by drowsy driving? Did the work accident result from a worker who was tired and reacted slowly or in error?
If so, accident victims and their loved ones will need to consider claims for damages as a result of these sleep-related incidents based upon the negligence and personal injury laws of both Indiana and Illinois.
For more, read:
- Drowsy Truck Drivers: Commuting to Work Contributing to Fatal Truck Crashes
- Drowsy Driving and the Risk of Fatal Traffic Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
- Fatigued, Tired Drivers Said to Cause 20% of All U.S. Traffic Deaths: Drowsy Drivers at Fault?
- Worker Fatalities: What are the Most Dangerous Jobs in 2019?
Daylight Saving Time means we must all be vigilant to the danger of drowsy drivers and sleepy co-workers and the increased likelihood of injury in March. Please be careful out there!
