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Pennsylvania is among the many states that adjust their clock for daylight savings time. When the annual “fall back” happens, darkness comes even sooner. That leaves many people driving home from work under nighttime driving conditions, which can increase the odds of suffering a motor vehicle accident. Many other potential dangers arise with the yearly time changes that impact most drivers.

Sleepiness dulls reactions

While a simple adjustment of one hour seems simple enough to do, car accident data shows a spike in accidents following every time change. The primary reason is the body clock not adjusting so readily and leaving many people driving on less sleep than they usually get on their morning drive into work. Many drivers also might have neglected to change their alarm clocks and drive more recklessly to make up for literally lost time.

Many vehicles improperly equipped for seasonal changes

The time changes occur during the transitional fall and spring seasons. That means many drivers are traveling in vehicles not yet set up for travels in the changing weather. Winter is especially difficult when snowstorms strike and drivers do not have the proper tires, wiper blades or even wiper fluid to keep the windshield clear of frost, snow and slush while driving. An improperly prepared vehicle is a danger to the driver and passengers as well as other motorists and might cause an accident.

Preparation helps to reduce accidents

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, a personal injury attorney who is experienced in motor vehicle accident cases may review your situation and help you to hold the correct parties liable. The daylight saving time changes lead to more accidents that do not always have clearly accountable motorists, so an attorney might hire accident investigators to gather evidence about who was at fault.