Researchers Warn Permanent Daylight Saving Time Could Increase Children’s Exposure to Dark Morning Commutes
Researchers are warning that making daylight saving time permanent could have unintended consequences for American schoolchildren. A new study estimates that the policy could produce at least 2 billion additional school commutes in darkness, exposing children to road conditions before sunrise and potentially affecting their biological clocks.
Safety data cited in the study found that fatal crashes involving school-aged pedestrians were roughly twice as likely during dark mornings as after sunrise. The findings suggest that extending evening daylight into the morning through a permanent time shift could increase risks for students who walk, cycle, or otherwise travel to school before daylight.
The researchers are calling for policymakers to consider these safety and health effects when evaluating proposals to eliminate seasonal clock changes.