BLACKSBURG, Va. – Daylight saving time is this weekend, and losing that hour of sleep can cause problems for drivers.
Experts at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute said research shows for this time of the year, the number of fatal car crashes goes up.
The institute routinely conducts studies on drowsy driving and it can be more dangerous than you think.
“When we are tired, our reaction times are slower,” said Matt Camden, senior research associate at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. “Oftentimes we are not scanning the environment as much as we would when we are attentive. We are also more susceptible to microsleeps, which are just kind of short episodes where you are actually falling asleep.”
He said something as simple as going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than normal can help with drowsiness.