Most people need no reminder that winter is almost here. One of the calendar events that warns of its imminent arrival is the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) once more.
While your phone and laptop will probably adjust themselves to show the correct time, this does not mean you no longer need to think about the time change at all. Realizing how it can affect your safety on the road allows you to take extra care during this transition.
Darkness comes earlier
One of the advantages of the time change is that you may get to avoid having to go to work or school in the dark a little longer. However, having more light in the morning comes at a cost to the evenings.
The first few days that people head home from work or another activity that ends around the late afternoon or early evening can be problematic. The lack of light at a given time compared to the last time they did it can catch them unaware.
Motorists might drive home in the failing light without thinking to turn their lights on because they have gotten so used to the route that it does not even occur to them that they need their headlights. Bicyclists might find themselves cycling the last bit of the road very aware of how hard they are to see. However, they may be unable to do anything about it in the moment because their bike lights are still stored in the garage.
If people are harder to see than usual, no matter what kind of vehicle they are using, it creates a higher collision risk. When injuries occur, those injured should learn more about their legal options.