Daylight savings time has come to an end, which means that we have returned to standard time. A general way to refer to this during November is by saying that we have “fallen back” an hour. The time shift means that it is a bit brighter in the morning and a bit darker at night.
For many people, daylight savings doesn’t really make much difference. Maybe they have to reset their clocks, but the modern clocks that people generally use on their phones are going to update automatically.
However, one big thing to consider is that this change in time might mean that you’re a little bit less safe on the road. Studies have found that deer strikes are more common when the time changes.
An increase of 16%
Specifically, a study found that the number of accidents involving vehicles and deer goes up by about 16% when people revert to standard time.
One of the reasons given for this is that drivers have reduced visibility. A driver who gets out of work may find that it is already almost pitch black at that time, and this reduced visibility means drivers don’t see deer on the side of the road. They only notice them when they enter the roadway, and by then it may be too late to avoid a crash.
The study also looked at what this would mean for injuries, fatalities and the like. What they found is that permanently switching away from standard time would reduce the total amount of vehicle accidents by nearly 2%. This could prevent injuries to roughly 2,000 people, it could prevent over $1 billion in damages and it would be projected to save 33 lives.
Drivers may make other mistakes
One thing to keep in mind with deer strikes is that drivers will often react instinctively to try to avoid animals when they see them in the road. With reduced visibility, drivers aren’t going to notice them until the last second.
But if a driver swerves into oncoming lanes or even unexpectedly switches lanes on the interstate, it can cause a serious accident between two motor vehicles. The same thing can happen if the driver slams on the brakes and the vehicle behind them is too close, leading to a rear-end accident.
As a result, those who have been injured in these car crashes need to make sure that they know about all the legal options they have to seek financial compensation for their medical bills and other costs.
