It’s that time of year again. Time to spring our clocks forward and wake up more tired than we really want to be on Monday. Daylight Savings Time not only makes Americans feel like we’re running behind for a few days, it can also have deadly consequences.
More Car Accidents Fatalities
In the first week after the spring time change, researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that in a ten year period, 302 people died in fatal car accidents, and accidents cost us about $2.75 billion dollars. The Monday after the time change results in a 17 percent increase in fatalities in car accidents alone.
More Jobsite Injuries
Workers suffer from the effects of time change too. Researchers reported in the Journal of Applied Psychology that on average mine workers reported to work with 40 minutes less sleep and were injured in 5.7 percent more workplace accidents in the week after the spring time change. The same was not true with the end of Daylight Savings Time in the fall, leading researchers to attribute the increased accidents to the change in sleep patterns.
More Heart Attacks
Heart attacks also increase in the first three days after Daylight Savings Time starts in the spring. According to Swedish researches, the heart attack rate goes up about 5 percent. They explained that changes in sleep patterns can release stress hormones and increase inflammation, which will lead to more heart attacks.
Be cautious this week as you adjust to the time change. Take your time, look both ways, and try to get a full night’s rest. It might just save your life.
Have you been seriously injured in an accident? Call the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Mark L. Karno and Associates at (312) 701-0090 today for your free consultation. We welcome clients from Aurora, Chicago, and the surrounding communities.