With the time change this weekend, the Michigan Department of Transportation is urging drivers to be extra cautious for a while as they adjust to the new conditions.
Spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells us drivers need to watch out for people traveling on foot or rolling, like on a bicycle, wheelchair, or skateboard each evening on the drive home.
“This is that time of year when as the clocks change, so does our vision when we drive,” Schirripa said. “It’s the time of year when the sun is the lowest in the sky at sunrise or sunset, so if you’re driving east in the morning or west in the evening, you’re staring directly at the sun.”
Research from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute confirms pedestrians are more at risk of serious injury from a crash in the weeks following a return to standard time. The most dangerous time is the first hour of darkness.
Schirripa says drivers also need to watch out for other cars because visibility in some cases will be reduced. He urges everyone to make sure their headlights are on.
