Posted on 03/06/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - March 6, 2025 - As the clocks prepare to "spring forward" with the onset of daylight saving time this Sunday, AAA is urging drivers to stay focused behind the wheel.
The time change can disrupt sleep patterns and daylight hours, potentially increasing the risk of drowsy driving for both drivers and pedestrians. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, nearly 78% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark in 2022, a slight increase from 75% in 2021.
Ragina Ali, a spokesperson for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C., said, "The morning commute for several weeks to come will be much darker than what drivers have been accustomed to in the last few weeks. It’s important for drivers to be alert and remember that children will be on their way to school and may be hard to see."
Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that drowsy driving crashes are significantly underreported. Their study estimates that drowsy driving is a factor in roughly ten times as many traffic fatalities as traditional crash data indicates.
Between 2017 and 2021, 18% of all traffic fatalities were estimated to involve a drowsy driver, accounting for nearly 30,000 deaths. In 2021 alone, an estimated 6,725 lives were lost in drowsy driving crashes.
Drowsiness impairs drivers by reducing alertness, impairing judgment, and causing hazardous microsleeps. Just one hour less than the recommended seven hours of sleep can increase crash risk. AAA offers several tips to stay safe on the road, including ensuring adequate sleep, traveling when normally awake, and avoiding driving when tired.
Ali emphasized the importance of avoiding distractions, obeying speed limits, driving sober, and buckling up. "The text isn’t worth putting yourself and everyone in and around that road at risk," she said, via a press release. Despite the dangers, 37% of drivers admitted to reading a text or email while driving in the past 30 days.
AAA also highlighted the importance of child passenger safety, noting that child seat and booster use declines after a child turns three. They encourage drivers to find child passenger safety resources by state to ensure proper car seat use.
As Daylight Saving Time approaches, AAA reminds drivers to commit to safe driving practices to protect themselves and others on the road.