Help yourself adjust to DST

As hard as it may be to believe, but one of the first signs of spring is headed our way this weekend.

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 10. That is the day most Americans will move their clocks ahead one hour in an attempt to capture an extra hour of daylight in the evening.

Of course, that extra hour of daylight comes at the expense of the morning. Instead of sunrise at 6:36 a.m., as it will be on Saturday, it will come at 7:35 a.m. on Sunday. That means on Monday, when people are headed to work or school, many will be doing so in the dark. The school day in New Prague starts at 7:40 for high schoolers, which means they will be driving or walking to school or catching the bus in the dark. While it’s always important to drive safely, it’s especially important to do so at this time of year. One study shows there is a spike in fatal car crashes during the six days following the shift, which may be due to sleep deprivation caused by spring transition. Another study found a 20 percent incase in all crashes on the Monday following the start of Daylight Saving Time.

One way to safeguard yourself is simple, according to an article in the US News and World Report. Go to bed early on the night of the time change, get plenty of sleep, and remain vigilant of fatigued drivers for the next several days.

And remember - it’s time to “spring forward, fall back.”