Scientists from the UK analyzed a decade of data. It turned out that fewer serious road accidents occur during the transition to daylight saving time.
Research by the University of Surrey showed a sharp a 15-20% reduction in the number of serious road traffic accidents after the transition to daylight saving time. This decrease is due to fewer accidents occurring between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm because drivers had an hour more sunlight.
Similarly, the team also found that switching to daylight saving time in the fall increased the number of minor accidents. road traffic accidents by 13%. This is mainly due to smaller accidents occurring in the evening hours between 15:00 and 18:00, when the hour of sunlight is redistributed back to the morning. These results support the hypothesis that drivers are more sensitive to road lighting conditions than to the potential sleep deprivation caused by daylight saving time.