Daylight saving time could increase the risk of car crashes for drivers in Oklahoma and elsewhere according to a new study. The study, which was published in Current Biology, is the most comprehensive research ever conducted on the link between traffic accidents and the annual “spring forward” time change.
To reach their conclusions, researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder analyzed nearly 733,000 accidents on U.S. roads between 1996 and 2017. They found that crashes increased by 6% in the week following the change to daylight saving time each year, adding an extra 28 traffic deaths to the annual U.S. tally. They also found that people living in western areas of their time zones were more likely to become involved in a fatal crash than those living in eastern areas. Researchers further noticed that most accidents took place in the morning.
Interestingly, the study also observed that daylight saving time-related traffic fatalities moved from April to March in 2007, which is the year the U.S. officially moved the event from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March. Experts say this fact removes any doubt that daylight saving time is responsible for the annual spike in roadway deaths.
Oklahoma motorists who are injured in car accidents caused by another driver might wish to pursue legal action against that driver in court. With the help of an attorney, injured victims may be able to gather police reports, witness testimony and other evidence proving that the at-fault driver is legally responsible for the crash. This evidence could then be used as the basis for a personal injury lawsuit seeking compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and more. Victims may have their case evaluated by contacting a law firm that handles car accident claims.