As everyone prepares to gain an extra hour of sleep when the clocks turn back early Sunday morning, one American study says daylight saving time should be year-round to prevent collisions with animals.
The time-change comes right in the midst of deer-rutting season, which makes them a lot more active and sometimes unpredictable.
In a typical year, the USA reports 2 million accidents a year due to deer, and about 440 people lose their lives. That number increases by 16 per cent the week after the time change, according to a PhD student at the University of Washington Taylor Ganz.
“We estimated that over thirty-five thousand deer-vehicle collisions could be avoided if we stuck to permanent daylight savings,” she told 680 CJOB on Friday.
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Prolonging daytime prevents these collisions because crashes with animals are much more likely to happen after dark.
“Most animals are really active at dawn and dusk,” Ganz said.
Deer are responsible for 90 per cent of vehicle collisions, according to Ganz.
Drivers are urged to keep their eyes on the road and avoid driving in the dark.
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