LAKEWOOD, Friday March 10, 2023 — While many might sleep on the dangers of fatigued driving and Daylight Saving Time, the Colorado DMV is reminding motorists to rest up before Monday’s commute.
Daylight Saving Time, which begins this Sunday and springs clocks ahead an hour, means Coloradans may wake up feeling more tired than usual. In the U.S., fatal car crashes spike by 6% during the workweek after “spring forward” resulting in an additional 28 deaths each year, according to a 2020 University of Colorado Boulder study.
But, there are steps motorists can take to make Monday’s commute safer for all Coloradans.
The DMV encourages drivers to take extra care during this time of change and hopes to raise awareness of fatigued driving following the beginning of Daylight Saving Time.
Before driving or when planning a roadtrip, please consider the following information:
Eight drowsy driving warning signs to watch for:
- Finding it hard to focus on the road, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids
- Starting to daydream, wandering eyes and having disconnected thoughts
- Having trouble remembering the last few miles driven
- Missing an exit or ignoring traffic signs
- Yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes
- Finding it hard to keep your head up or nodding off
- Drifting from your lane, tailgating or hitting a shoulder rumble strip
- Feeling restless and irritable or becoming aggravated with common annoyances such as sitting in traffic.
Before getting into the car with someone or driving yourself, ask the following:
- Are you sleep-deprived or fatigued? Are you suffering regularly from sleep problems? Less than 6 hours of sleep triples your risk of falling asleep while driving, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
- Are you planning to drive long distances without proper rest breaks?
- Will you be driving through the night, mid-afternoon or when you would normally be asleep?
- Are you taking medications that can make you sleepy such as antidepressants, cold tablets or antihistamines?
- Have you been working over 60 hours a week? A tightly packed work schedule increases your risk of drowsy driving by 40%, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
- Have you been working more than one job and your main job involves shift work?
- Did you drink alcohol? Even a small amount of alcohol can have an impact on your body.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, specific at-risk groups for driving sleep-deprived include:
- Young drivers — especially males under 25 years old.
- Shift workers and people with long work hours — working the night shift can increase your risk of drowsy driving by nearly six times. Rotating-shift workers and people working more than 60 hours a week need to be particularly careful.
- Commercial drivers — especially long-haul drivers. At least 15% of all heavy truck crashes involve fatigue and sleep-deprived driving.
- People with undiagnosed or untreated disorders — People with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have up to seven times the risk of falling asleep at the wheel.
- Business travelers — who spend long hours driving or may be jet-lagged from a previous trip.
Helpful tips for driving, include:
- Planning your trip ahead of time.
- If it is a long-distance trip, ask a friend to join you so they can help drive and monitor for signs of drowsy driving.
- If you feel tired, drowsy or notice any of the signs above, pull over and get some rest and only continue driving when alert.
For more information on prevention tips against drowsy driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drowsy-driving.