www.recordherald.com/news/6922… With the end of daylight saving time this weekend, motorists will be presented with challenges that could impact pedestrian safety. AAA East Central recommends motorists prepare for potential problems associated with changes in sleep patterns, brighter morning commutes, and darker evening commutes.

“While the extra hour of sleep may feel nice on Sunday morning, the time change can lead to greater risks behind the wheel,” said Lori Cook, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “The time change can affect concentration, attention and decision making, so motorists should take extra precautions in the weeks ahead to avoid putting pedestrians in harm’s way.”

When combined with an earlier dusk, disturbed sleep patterns can become a formula for fatigue-related crashes. Researchers at Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University have found that the effects of the time change on motorists have been shown to last up to two weeks. Moreover, the National Sleep Foundation reports that sleep-deprived drivers cause more than 6,400 deaths and 50,000 debilitating injuries on American roadways each year.

The dangers of sleep deprivation are further highlighted by the latest AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index. Ninety-five percent of motorists view drowsy driving as very or extremely dangerous, but 17% admitted to driving when they were so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at least once in the previous 30 days before the survey (2020 Traffic Safety Culture Index)