NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With Daylight Saving Time disappearing Sunday, it's important that drivers are ready for the change in their environment.
"What gets me most is how early it gets dark. We'll be seeing sunset around 5:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 or 6:45, said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "That's the biggest change, I think, that gets most people, especially if they're driving home, that first Monday after the time change. So it's really important to pay attention to that. Make sure that you have your headlights on as it starts to get dark. Don't wait till after dark."
This can also cause your body's sleep patterns to be different in an adjustment period.
"With drowsy driving, make sure that you're getting plenty of extra sleep," Steward said. "We do get that extra hour,supposedly, of sleep. Then look for ways to travel at times of the day that you're normally awake. That can help with drowsy driving. Avoid heavy foods and avoid medications that can cause drowsiness or impairment."
Drivers know that drowsy driving is a problem, but some of them still do it.
"Data shows that most motorists identify drowsy driving as very or extremely dangerous," Steward said. "Yet, despite those high rates of perceived danger, the people we surveyed, about 17 percent of drivers admitted to having driven while so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open. Additional AAA Foundation research showed that drivers who have slept less than five hours have a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk. And then drivers who missed one or two hours of sleep can nearly double their risk of a crash."
Foundation research says more than half of drivers involved in fatigue-related crashes experienced no symptoms before falling asleep behind the wheel.