Pedestrian/auto accidents spike after a return to Standard Time 

Personal Injury /
Joshua Goldberg
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By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Many people welcome an extra hour of sleep when most of the province shifts back to Standard Time at 2 a.m. on Nov. 5. But they also need to be extra cautious when driving or walking in the days and weeks that follow, warns Ontario personal injury lawyer Joshua Goldberg.

“Statistically speaking, November is one of the most dangerous months for both drivers and pedestrians, particularly between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m.,” he says. “People who were accustomed to driving home from work in daylight are now driving home in darkness, and that can lead to more collisions.”

People who drive in the late afternoon may deal with glare caused by the sun setting low on the horizon, says Goldberg, principal of Joshua Goldberg Law.

The City of Toronto states that pedestrian collisions increase by more than 30 per cent during the evening commute hours from November to March.

“When visibility is reduced, people and objects on the road are harder to see,” city information states.

Worst time between 5 and 8 p.m. 

According to one media report, automobile accidents sharply increase between 5 and 8 p.m. in the 30 days following the start of Standard Time.

“For the past decade, and on a yearly-average basis, personal injury collisions dramatically increase – by some 19 per cent – in those same ‘doomed’ three evening hours, after the clock falls back,” it states.

Ironically, the number of collisions during the day decreases in November by six per cent, according to the report.

“It’s specifically in that [three-hour] window of time that collisions go up instead,” it adds.

Another media report states that a U.S. study found the time switch has an impact on the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the immediate aftermath of the change back to Standard Time.

“People walking during rush hour in the first few weeks after the clocks fall back in the autumn were more than three times as likely to be fatally struck by cars than before the change. Time of day was cited as a factor in the findings – there was no significant difference in pedestrian accidents at noon, but that number rose around 6 p.m. after clocks had been moved back an hour,” it states.

“Drivers and pedestrians who have grown accustomed to certain daylight conditions don’t immediately adjust to the new light levels,” Goldberg tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “Impaired visibility leads to more accidents and some of these are fatal.”

A Pedestrian Safety Priority announcement issued by Toronto Police Services notes that “November is the deadliest month for pedestrian fatalities in the city.”

It adds that the majority of pedestrian fatalities during this month are people 55 years or older, which is why police urge “drivers to slow down in residential areas. We are also encouraging pedestrians to exercise safety and use pedestrian crossings.”

The reason for the time shift

Daylight Saving Time (DST) was proposed by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson in 1895 because he wanted more sunlit hours to study insects. New Zealand did not implement his suggestion but Germany did in 1915 as a way to save energy during the First World War

In 1918, Canada formally introduced DST as a way to increase production during wartime, though Saskatchewan, the Yukon and parts of Northern B.C. never followed suit. In northwestern Ontario, the communities of Pickle Lake, Atikokan and New Osnaburgh observe Eastern Standard Time year-round.

“The rationale for changing the clocks has been debated for years, with many people wanting to get rid of the twice-a-year time shift altogether,” says Goldberg.

He notes that in 2020 the Ontario government tabled and unanimously passed a private member’s bill called the Time Amendment Act, 2020.

“It cannot be implemented unless New York State and Quebec get on board, as the areas are so closely economically linked,” Goldberg explains.

Tips for returning to Standard Time

The City of Toronto offers this advice to drivers coping with the return to Standard Time.

  • Slow down and turn slowly. Always stay alert.
  • Make sure vehicle headlights and signal lights are functioning properly.
  • Obey speed limits and approach crosswalks, intersections and transit stops with caution.
  • Give yourself plenty of time wherever you are going and plan your route. Use public transit when possible.

Pedestrians can also take steps to avoid accidents.

  • Do not wear hoods or headgear that obstruct your vision while crossing the street.
  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the road.
  • Do not jay-walk.
  • Do not listen to headphones which may prevent you from hearing your surroundings.
  • Avoid using distracting devices such as phones and games when walking.

Drinking and driving is never a good idea, but especially on the day the clocks fall back, one Ohio resident discovered. According to a media report, a man was arrested for driving while intoxicated at 1:08 a.m. on Sunday and then released from the police station with a summons to appear in court later that week.

He got back in his car and was arrested again by the same officer again at 1:08 a.m. on the same day, just a block from the station.