Daylight Saving Time: Does It Save Lives?

There is an interesting statistic to consider as you get yourself used to the lost hour this morning: People are safer drivers during daylight hours, and researchers have found that DST reduces lethal car crashes and pedestrian strikes. A study concluded that observing DST year-round would annually prevent about 195 motor vehicle deaths and about 171 pedestrian fatalities. Is it worth taking this into consideration before we change again?

Alternatively, there’s a spike in heart attacks during the first week of daylight saving time, according to another study published last year. The loss of an hour’s sleep may make people more susceptible to an attack. When daylight saving time ends in the fall, heart attacks briefly become less frequent than usual. Which suggest that the first week of the change doesn’t help as much for savings.

It’s an interesting comparison and maybe worth more research. Clearly, there is a split all over the country as to if there even should be a time change. Arizona and Hawaii—and four U.S. territories—American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—don’t observe daylight saving time. Indiana adopted DST in 2006. But, less accidents and safer pedestrians does sound good.