We hope you are reading this before you leave the house for work. Take a deep breath, have another cup of coffee and brace yourself, because you are about to enter one of the most dangerous rush hours of the year. The morning rush hour right after daylight saving time begins is historically one of the most deadly we deal with.
A combination of extra sleepy drivers and darker driving conditions can add up to deadly results.
It is especially dangerous for pedestrians. The rate of pedestrians struck by vehicles increases greatly when we turn the clocks forward. People who were walking or jogging in the daylight on Friday morning were walking or jogging in darkness this morning.
The best advice? Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Perhaps you went to bed an hour earlier last night. Be extra aware of your surroundings when you head out. Keep special care out for pedestrians and don’t forget to buckle up.
Another issue for drivers with the time change is the adjustment needed for “sunshine slowdowns.” If you didn’t have to deal with sunshine delays last week, you might have to this morning because of the lost hour.
Commuters who travel I-20 eastbound in from Carroll, Douglas, Fulton and Cobb counties should take note, as should travelers on I-285 eastbound between the Cobb Cloverleaf and Spaghetti Junction.
WSB’s Capt. Herb Emory is bracing for a rough rush hour.
“What factors into it normally being a bad rush hour is that your body clock is still trying to adjust to losing that hour.”
The good news about the time change? Pedestrians are safer during the now “brighter” evening rush hour. There is a 78 percent drop in pedestrian risk during the 6 p.m. hour.
Herb said afternoon commuters should be prepared for changes in their drive as well.
“The sunshine delays are going to hit different motorists in the afternoon; I-285 westbound, I-85 down around the airport and the west expressway (I-20) need to be ready. It changes the pattern of the sunshine slowdown.”
As dangerous as this morning might be, the end of daylight saving time is actually more dangerous. The evening rush hour after daylight saving time ends is the most deadly of the year.
A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University showed a 186 percent increase in per-mile risk for pedestrians when daylight saving time ends.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan looked at a 10-year period and found 65 deadly crashes involving pedestrians the week before daylight saving time ended and 227 the week following the time change.
It’s something we should all remember come November.
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Mark Arum’s column appears Mondays. Listen to his traffic reports daily on AM 750 and now 95.5FM News/Talk WSB, and see him each morning on Channel 2 Action News. Connect with Mark by e-mail at mark.arum@coxradio.com; Twitter @markarum; or Facebook: markarumWSB.
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