Why Accidents Increase After Daylight Savings Switch

Was traffic noticeably slower on your morning commute these past couple of days? If so, blame daylight saving time. The “spring forward” is believed to cause a temporary spike in traffic incidents. A 1998 Canadian study found that auto accidents may increase as much as 17 percent immediately following the time change.

Media outlets tend to report a few theories on why accidents swell after the spring time change. Each seems reasonable at first glance:

• Drivers acclimated to commuting after the sun is already out may find themselves blinded by the sunrise or driving in the dark.


• More drowsy drivers are on the road after difficulty falling asleep at the regular time due to the spring forward.


• Some people recklessly rushed to work after forgetting to reset their alarm clocks and accidently oversleeping.

The authors of the Canadian study argue drowsy driving – rather than the other two factors – is why the frequency of accidents escalates after the time change. The study found the only significant increase in accidents occurred during the afternoon commute. That finding appears to rule out an early sunrise or forgetfulness as the reason for an increase in accidents.

Last week, the Sleep Education Blog shared some tips to better brace for the time change but not everyone spends days preparing for the hour of lost sleep. The blog also reported that well-intentioned evening types may still struggle because falling asleep even slightly earlier than normal may be difficult. It may take weeks, but most of the people who fall under either category will eventually adjust and become safer drivers once again.

The “fall back” in November appears to have the opposite effect of the “spring forward”: a sudden temporary decrease in accidents, according to the study. However, that may be quickly negated by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which tends flare up with the fall time change. SAD may lead to increased daytime sleepiness, which potentially, could mean more drowsy drivers on the roadways during the winter months.

Do you find yourself nodding off at the wheel on a regular basis? You may have a sleep disorder that prevents you from getting regular restful sleep. Schedule an appointment with a clinical sleep specialist and find out if you have sleep apnea or seek treatment for insomnia.

Photo by Slinkydragon

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Are the best and brightest natural night owls?

Our society seems to celebrate the ambition of early risers. We tend to admire the person who’s out on a seven mile jog at the crack of dawn or the employee who’s firmly planted at their desk long before everyone else arrives.

The night owl, who sleeps through most of the morning, is viewed as lazy or irresponsible at best, drunks or criminals at worst.

Do we have it all wrong? Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa poses that question in the latest entry in his blog The Scientific Fundamentalist.

He hypothesized the most intelligent American children grow up to sleep in later their peers. The author looked at the possible relationship between early childhood IQ scores and reported bedtimes in early adulthood.

Kanazawa classified children into five categories according to their IQ scores. Children with IQ less than 75 were considered very dull, above 125 were called very bright. Those in the middle of the bell curve, with a score around 100 were considered average.

You can see in the charts below, the higher the childhood IQ scores the more likely the subjects were to stay up later in early adulthood.





While the data suggests the smartest people turn out to be night owls and the least intelligent end up as larks, there might be more to this relationship than the author lets on. In his entry he fails to define early adulthood. If this includes people around the ages of 18-25 there may be some lifestyle factors at play.

College students are notorious for their nocturnal tendencies. Most Americans of above average intelligence pursue some form of higher education. Many of the most gifted go on to get Master’s degrees or PhD’s, extending that lifestyle by 2-6 years.

Those that choose to go straight into the workforce after high school don’t have the luxury of making their own schedule and sleeping in like college students. They jump right into working the typical 8-5, or even early bird hours, in the case of some blue collar jobs like manufacturing.

Regardless of if the hypothesis is true both chronotypes still come with downsides. Evening-types have a higher risk of severe depression symptoms. Larks may never reach a level of maximum performance during the day.

Contrary to traditional wisdom, morning types were found to be no healthier, wealthier, or wiser than night owls.

It’s best to follow your instincts when it comes to your sleep schedule. Trying to switch from night owl to lark may end up cutting into length of sleep, ultimately doing more harm than good.

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