I thought this was common knowledge, but after reading my newspaper this morning and then checking online, it seems this is not common knowledge. We knew this when I was a young adjuster as the week of daylight savings was always a busier week than normal.
Back in 1996, the New England Journal of Medicine had a study that showed that there are more car crashes the Monday after daylight savings time. The theory is that people lose an hour of sleep so they are more tired. When you are driving and you are tired, you are more likely to be involved in an accident. It makes sense.
My tips for driving on Monday:
1. Go to bed an hour earlier on Sunday;
2. Leave a bit earlier or a bit later on Monday morning so you can avoid most of the traffic;
3. Pay extra attention to those driving around you;
4. Do not do anything that would distract you. So drink that coffee before you get in the car or once you get to the office;
5. Tell your friends so that they are aware of this. The more drivers who are aware of this, the safer the roads will be.