Save up to 50% on Car Insurance Get Started
call Get Car Insurance

Is Daylight Saving the Worst Time To Drive?

author-photoWritten by Preston Micalizio
author-photo
Preston Micalizio

Preston Micalizio writes insurance content for SmartFinancial. He brings three years of professional experience writing ...

Read more
editor-photoEdited by Richard Murphy
editor
Richard Murphy

Richard Murphy manages content on SmartFinancial's website. With a strong background in content strategy and copywriting...

Read more
Updated February 20, 2026

Expert Reviewed

Expert Reviewed

Our panel of insurance experts has reviewed the content to ensure that our reporting and statistics are accurate, easy to understand and unbiased.

Learn more
secure Editorial Standards

SmartFinancial Offers Unbiased, Fact-based Information. Our fact-checked articles are intended to educate insurance shoppers so they can make the right buying decisions. Learn More

While summer and early fall are the most dangerous parts of the year for drivers, there is also an increased risk of traffic accidents associated with daylight saving time driving in the spring.[1][2] As a result, you should adapt your driving habits for a little while after the clock springs forward each year.

Keep reading for more information on driving during daylight savings time, including why it can be dangerous and how a crash could affect your car insurance rates.

Key Takeaways

  • You are 6% more likely to get into a fatal car accident during the week following the switch to daylight saving time in the spring.
  • Factors contributing to this heightened crash risk include darker morning commutes, difficulty adapting to the angle of the sun and drowsiness after losing an hour of sleep.
  • Driving while drowsy is dangerous and can lead to an accident due to slower reaction times and a lack of focus on the road.
  • Getting into a car accident can raise your car insurance rates by hundreds of dollars, while repeated accidents could prompt your insurance company to cancel your policy.

On This Page

Expand Table of Contents

What Is Daylight Saving Time?

Daylight saving time is the period when clocks are moved forward one hour relative to standard time used throughout the rest of the year. This change occurs during the summer months to allow people to better use daylight in the evenings. During the fall, clocks are then returned to standard time, allowing for better use of daylight hours during winter mornings.[3]

When Is Daylight Saving Time?

In 2026, daylight saving time begins on March 8 and ends on November 1.[3]

Why Should You Avoid Daylight Savings Time Driving?

A 2020 study found that there is a 6% increase in deadly car accident risk immediately following the transition into daylight saving time each spring, accounting for nearly 30 fatal accidents throughout the United States each year that may not have happened if not for the time change.[2]

It’s worth noting that the increased crash risk typically wanes during the week following the time change, after which driving conditions should return to normal for the overwhelming majority of drivers during daylight saving time.[2]

Nevertheless, you should be especially careful on the road for the first few days after the clock springs forward.

Read below for an overview of some of the characteristics of the first week of daylight saving time that may explain the increased crash risk that drivers encounter during this time frame and why it’s important for you to practice safer driving habits.

It’s Darker Early in the Morning

The greatest increase in fatal collision risk following the start of daylight saving time occurs in the early morning between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., which could be attributed in part to the fact that people have not yet adjusted to driving in the dark to get to work during the days immediately after daylight saving time begins.[2]

The Sun Is Angled Differently in the Morning

If you’re on the road close to 8 a.m., you may instead find driving after daylight saving time more difficult due to the angle of the sun. Since the sun will rise nearly an hour later on the Monday after the switch to daylight saving time than on the Monday before the switch, the sun could be at a position that makes it more likely to obscure your vision, especially if you have to drive east to get to work in the morning.

For example, before daylight saving time, the sun may be high enough in the sky for you to block it with your car’s sun visor by the time you hit the road. However, once daylight saving time begins, the sun may be just above the horizon as you drive to work, making it more likely that sunlight will block your vision and put you at a greater risk of being involved in a traffic accident.

Drivers Might Be Drowsy Due to the Time Change

The greatest contributor to fatal car accidents during daylight saving time may be the loss of an hour of sleep. It’s estimated that 6% to 11% of police-reported motor vehicle crashes and 16% to 21% of fatal crashes are caused by drowsy drivers.[4]

When the sun rises at a time your internal clock isn't used to, it can disrupt your sleep schedule, leaving you short on sleep and making driving risky for the rest of the day.

More Animals on the Road

Although deer strikes become less common after daylight saving time begins, spring migration patterns still increase wildlife activity overall. Migration and related activities can therefore increase the risk of vehicle-animal collisions when driving through areas with a high deer population.[5][6]

What Are the Risks of Driving While Drowsy?

Drowsy driving is associated with a high number of car crashes each year. For example, at least 693 people died in 2022 as a result of car crashes where drowsiness was confirmed to be a contributing factor.[7] Fatigue can have the following impacts on your body, potentially making you more susceptible to various types of crashes:

  • Harder time paying attention to the road: For example, you may not notice a distracted student walking into the street and accidentally strike them.
  • Slower reaction time: For example, you may be more likely to rear-end another car if you don’t react to the driver in front of you slowing down quickly enough to brake in time.
  • Inhibited decision-making abilities: For example, if you notice a fallen tree branch in the road but are not thinking clearly at the moment, you might swerve your vehicle and end up crashing into a ditch when you could have just as easily avoided the branch by slowing down and driving slightly to the side of the road.

How Can an Accident During Daylight Savings Time Impact Your Insurance?

Your car insurance company may raise your auto insurance premiums after you get into an accident, especially if you were the at-fault driver. After a single accident, your monthly premiums could rise by as little as $10 or as much as $800 or more, depending on factors like the accident’s severity and whether your insurer offers accident forgiveness or a similar benefit.[8] An accident during daylight savings time driving can therefore have financial consequences that extend well beyond the initial crash.

Traffic accidents will usually impact your insurance rates for three to five years.[8] Of course, your premiums may continue increasing if you are involved in additional accidents. If you have several accidents within a few years, your insurance company could even drop you, and you may have to shop for nonstandard insurance from high-risk car insurance carriers.

How To Save On Insurance in Time for Daylight Saving

If your primary concern is saving money on car insurance, keep an eye out for potential discounts as you shop around. For example, many auto insurance companies will offer you lower rates if you have gone an extended period without having to file a claim or have installed anti-theft devices in your vehicle.

As you prepare for daylight saving time, you may want to shop around by comparing quotes from three to five insurance companies to ensure you are getting the best deal on the coverage you need. To get a car insurance quote from any one company, you will need to provide the insurer with personal details, such as your driving record. You’ll likely also need to give information about your vehicle, such as its make and model.

You can get quotes from multiple insurance providers quickly by going through a marketplace platform like SmartFinancial. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your coverage needs and budget and we’ll connect you with agents who can help you find policies that suit your requirements. Click here if you’d like to talk to an agent about getting a free auto insurance quote today.

Spring Forward on Savings! Get Your Free Auto Insurance Quotes Today!

FAQs

Are there more accidents during daylight saving time?

There is a 6% increase in fatal car crashes the week after the transition to daylight saving time each spring.[2]

Are accidents likelier in the morning, afternoon or evening?

Traffic accidents are most common in the afternoon and evening, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., though this varies by season and crash type. For example, in the spring and summer months, fatal crashes peak between 8 p.m. and midnight, while nonfatal crashes peak between noon and 4 p.m.[9]

Do we gain or lose an hour during daylight savings time?

When daylight saving time begins in the spring, clocks “spring forward” one hour, which means we set our clocks forward by one hour, resulting in more daylight in the evening. During the fall, clocks “fall backward,” and we gain that lost hour back, resulting in more daylight in the morning hours.[3]

Is the correct term “daylight savings time” (plural) or “daylight saving time” (singular)?

While many refer to it as daylight savings time, the correct term is the singular form — daylight saving time.[10]

Sources

  1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “On the Road Again: Higher Driver Death Rate Is a Downside of Economic Recovery,” Page 6. Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  2. Current Biology. “A Chronobiological Evaluation of the Acute Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Traffic Accident Risk.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  3. The Old Farmers’ Almanac. “Daylight Saving Time 2026: When Does the Time Change?” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  4. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Countermeasures To Reduce Drowsy Driving: Results of a Literature Review and Discussions With Experts.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  5. Journal of Environmental Management. “Effect of Daylight Saving Time Clock Shifts on White-Tailed Deer-Vehicle Collision Rates.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  6. City of Panama City Beach, FL. “Wildlife Is More Active in the Spring.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  7. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2022,” Page 14. Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  8. AAA Club Alliance. “How Much Does Car Insurance Increase After an Accident?” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  9. National Safety Council. “Car Crashes by Time of Day and Day of Week.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
  10. CNN. “Daylight Saving Time Fast Facts.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2026.
About the Author
Preston Micalizio
Preston Micalizio
Auto Insurance Expert

Preston Micalizio writes insurance content for SmartFinancial. He brings three years of professional experience writing in various industries, from higher education to e-commerce. He strives to engage with the audience, provide accurate reporting and make complex subjects easily digestible.

linkedin
Related Articles

Get a Free Auto Insurance Quote Online Now.

More on Auto Insurance

Related Articles
auto

Looking for Auto Insurance?

Compare rates from dozens of companies in less than 3 minutes.