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Daylight Savings Time Increases Car Accident Risks

Daylight savings has been in effect for about 6 weeks in Georgia, which is enough time for most people to make the adjustment to longer days.  However, did you know that your car accident risks increase as soon as Daylight Savings Time comes into effect? When your days become longer, your risks behind the wheel increase.

According to one study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a single hour of lost sleep can significantly increase your risk of being involved in an accident.

What can you do to help reduce the risk of an accident now that longer days are here?

Of course, the simplest solution is to avoiding sleepiness and fatigue by going to bed earlier.  Go to bed at least an hour earlier every night until your body adjusts to the new timing.

There are also safety features available on today’s cars that can help prevent accidents due to drowsy driving.  These are relatively new systems, and monitor a number of factors, including the driver’s eye movements, lane changes, and other factors before delivering a warning alert. These visible or audible alerts tell the driver that he or she is in danger of losing control of their car as a result of fatigue.

Don’t have a drowsy driver alert system in your car? Don’t worry. Other easily available systems, like parking sensors and forward collision warning systems that have been available in automobiles for a while now can also help alert you when you are in danger of causing an accident due to lack of alertness.

Automatic headlights are available in many vehicles, and can help you stay safe. If you are used to driving at a certain hour of the day when it is light out, but then changes because of Daylight Savings, you might forget to turn on your headlights. Automatic headlights solve the problem. You are much less likely to be driving in the dark when your automatic headlights take care of that problem for you.

Daylight Savings Time is a fact of life for everyone in Georgia, including our Atlanta personal injury lawyers.  Do your part by making sure you adjust your sleep schedule so you’re alert and aware when behind the wheel.

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