GUILDFORD, England (Commonwealth Union) – Daylight saving is a normal part of life in colder regions with less sunlight from Melbourne, Australia to Poland and most parts of Europe. Daylight saving was initially suggested by Ben Franklin invent in 1784, but recent findings indicate that its impact on our health might not be so positive.
Transitioning to daylight saving time (DST) may prompt individuals to take dangerous risks when driving, according to a recent study from the University of Surrey. The findings indicate that after DST is implemented drivers’ actions are riskier, and their reaction time and ability to read situations are hindered.
“The disruption to our sleep and circadian rhythms caused by daylight saving time is known to increase health risks such as heart attacks, but what is not known is the danger it can cause on our roads due to its impact on driver behavior. Findings from our study will show there is no place for daylight saving time in today’s world, as the negatives strongly outweigh the positives,” said Sara Montagnese, Professor of Chronobiology at the University of Surrey.
An experimental group for the driving activities of 23 males was analyzed before and after the implementation of springtime DST. A control group of 22 males also undertook 2 assessments, both before DST. In each experiment, participants were requested to drive an 11.5km route on a driving simulator, which had rural and urban roads, and were subjected to different driving scenarios.
To see if drivers would take non-required risks, participants were behind a vehicle on a long straight road with a continuing centerline to observe if any of them would attempt to overtake. After the 1st assessment, which took place before DST, it was seen that the behavior of drivers in both groups was similar, with only 9 per cent choosing to overtake.
During assessment 2, which took place after DST was introduced, 39% of participants in the experimental group overtook the leading vehicle. In comparison those in the control group kept safer practices. This demonstrated that those in the experimental group were more prone to take risks as they were more likely to make overtaking violations in the post-DST trial than in their 1st assessment.
