COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Ohioans prepare to set their clocks back an hour Saturday night with daylight saving time coming to an end, the change in times poses another risk on the road – drowsy driving.
“A lot of people don't realize how dangerous drowsy driving is. And in fact, a lot of times it's underreported in the crash data,” shares AAA spokesperson Kimberly Schwind.
AAA warns you to be on alert for how your body is reacting to the change in sleeping patterns before you hit the road to avoid drowsy driving.
“We're gaining an hour, but we're going to be going to sleep and waking up at different times. And so you know, it, it messes with your sleeping pattern can cause you to lose some sleep maybe, even though we are gaining that extra hour,” said Schwind.
A recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study finds that 16-21% of fatal crashes likely involve drowsy driving.
"It's comparable to driving drunk and it really takes your attention off of that road, puts you at risk, and puts other people at risk as well,” said Schwind.
Studies show missing 2-3 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period more than quadruples your risk of a crash. To avoid drowsy driving, AAA recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep, avoiding any heavy foods or medications that can cause drowsiness, and taking extra caution on the road.
They advise ensuring your headlights are in working order, slowing down and scanning traffic even more carefully when it’s dark out, and increasing your distance between other cars.
"I have been drowsy at the wheel and what I did was I rolled all of my windows down and put my music up really loud to kind of keep me awake,” shared Dublin resident Mary Richards.
For some Columbus residents, taking extra pre-caution will be key as they adjust to the change in times.
"It affects me a little bit, I'm third shift so I'm waking up - now it's getting darker sooner and getting lighter sooner, it affects me, I don't want to fall asleep at the wheel. I wake up drink some coffee, splash some water on your face, should be okay,” shared Columbus resident Raymond Alvelo.
Lastly, ditch the distractions so you can have a clear focus on the road to keep yourself, and other pedestrians safe.