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“Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend,” the DOT posted in a statement. “While you adjust to the time change, be especially careful of driving. Get enough sleep, stay alert and if you feel drowsy, don't drive.”
Clocks will switch over at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, at which points clocks will be adjusted to 3 a.m. local time. Daylight Saving Time stays in effect from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday in November, making it the norm for more of the year than the purported “standard time.”
Daylight saving time has been around since World War I, but it didn’t become a standard practice until the adoption of the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Over the decades, the dates Daylight Saving Time is in effect have fluctuated, however.
According to the American Economic Association, from 2002 to 2011 the transition into Daylight Saving Time caused over 30 deaths at a social cost of $275 million annually.
In order to plan ahead for Daylight Saving Time, experts say that one should:
- Go to bed about 10-15 minutes earlier every night for about a week before the start of Daylight Saving Time.
- Adjust your clock to the new time earlier in the evening of the clock change so that you actually go to bed an hour earlier rather than going to bed at the usual time and missing out on sleep.
- If you cannot go to bed earlier, sleep for longer the next morning or have an afternoon nap on the Sunday (first day of Daylight Saving Time).
- Avoid driving during peak times for fatigue-related collisions (2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., and in the afternoon between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.) following the clock change. Adjust your regular schedule if necessary for the first few days of Daylight Saving Time.
- Avoid distractions. This is important on any journey, regardless of time of day or time of year. However, it’s crucial not to add any other risk factors into the mix at the start of Daylight Saving Time when you’re already at greater risk of reduced concentration.
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