November Industry Highlight: The End of Daylight Saving Time
Need an extra hour of sleep? Good news is daylight saving time comes to an end on November 6th. The bad news is there are several safety concerns when it comes to the change in time.
With the end of daylight saving time comes darkness earlier and earlier. Drivers aren’t used to the decreased visibility, and neither are pedestrians. People walking at dusk are nearly three times more likely to be hit by vehicles after the end of daylight savings than just before the time change.
Take extra precautions on the road. Watch for cyclists, joggers, and kids walking home from after-school programs. Make sure your lights are on 30 minutes before dusk and stay on 30 minutes after sunrise. Use your turn signals so other drivers can respond safely. And always refrain from texting and driving.
Another risk is fatigue. The change to our internal clocks can cause us to be tired throughout the day. It takes people who work traditional hours 7 days to readjust their sleep schedule after the time change. Try to avoid building up lost hours of sleep debt during the days before the change.
Safety professionals often recommend using daylight savings as a reminder for recurring safety tasks. The following are common items that you can do to make your home safer.
- Inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Inspect your car’s tires for sufficient tread and proper pressure.
- Check your emergency kit.
- Inspect your car’s headlights for cloudiness and damage.
- Change your windshield wiper blades.
