Daylight Savings Had Ended; New York State Warning Motorists of Drowsy Driving

Daylight savings has officially ended on Sunday and the New York State Partnership Against Drowsy Driving (NYPDD) is warning motorists to be aware of the dangers of drowsy driving as the evening commute home will see the sun setting before 5pm now. 

The NYPDD says even though you gain an hour of sleep from the time change, it can still disrupt your sleep schedule, which leads to people feeling drowsy.

“Drowsiness or fatigue can affect driving ability, which puts not only the driver at risk of injury or death in a crash, but everyone else on the road as well,” said Mark J.F. Schroeder, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). “The risk is even greater for young drivers, due to inexperience, but all motorists should know and be aware of the warning signs of drowsiness, particularly as we adjust to standard time, and avoid driving in that situation.”

In 2023, drowsy driving was a contributing factor in over 5,000 vehicle crashes in the state, 15 were where a fatality had occurred, and over 1,800 had at least one injury. So far for 2024, there have been over 2,400 crashes where a driver was either drowsy or fell asleep.

Warning signs of drowsy driving include repeated yawning, struggling to keep your eyes open and focused, forgetting the last few miles you drove, tailgating or missing traffic signals, and swerving and drifting in lanes of traffic. 

It is recommended for drivers to take a break every 100 miles or every two hours. The NYPDD also recommends you bring a passenger to help keep the driver awake and share driving responsibilities. More information on drowsy driving can be found HERE.