Ontario, along with most of the rest of Canada, put its collective clocks forward one hour when Daylight Savings Time came into effect at 2am on Sunday March 11, 2012.
Daylight Saving Time, as its name suggests, was first instituted during WWI as a means of making the most of daylight hours by shifting more to the evenings and less to the mornings. Whatever its origins, it’s become a routine part of our lives here in North America, and even changing the clocks has largely become automatic as electronics take up more and more of that task for us automatically.
Still, the “spring forward” in time may have effects you haven’t considered.
It’s just an hour…
It may only be an hour’s difference in time, but as any frequent traveler can tell you, the body needs 3 to 4 days to adjust to it, and sometimes it can take a week to fully realign what is known as the body’s circadian rhythms.
It means that it can affect your sleeping patterns for those first few days. In fact, recent surveys have shown that people report feeling less alert in the following mornings. Less alert can mean very undesirable consequences including:
- Higher rates of motor vehicle accidents
- Higher rates of workplace accidents – think slip and fall injuries
Both of these effects are supported by some statistics, and although the exact figure is difficult to ascertain, some published reports put the increased incidence of traffic accidents as high as 23% on the Monday morning following the change.
If you’re feeling a little more tired this time of year, there are some easy precautions you can take:
- Try going to bed a little earlier to compensate
- Eat your last meal earlier
- Get as much sunlight as you can to help your body adjust
Caution is always the best policy when it comes to your safety whether that’s at home, in the car or at work, but accidents can happen even when you’re prepared. If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident, whether you’ve been hit or your car is considered at fault, then you need legal representation to make sure you’re working towards the best possible outcome.
Get the Legal Representation You Need
Know your rights. Contact the motor vehicle accident lawyers at Petrillo Law today by calling (905) 949-9433. We look forward to hearing from you.
We are located at 2600 Skymark Ave., Unit 1, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 5B2
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