When clocks "spring forward" each year, millions of people lose an hour of sleep or wake up feeling out of sync. But scientists say the time change may come with an unexpected upside: potentially saving thousands of animals and even human lives.
Daylight saving time can significantly reduce the risk of collisions between vehicles and wildlife, according to Scientific American.
In the United States, drivers are involved in around 1 million collisions with deer each year, based on estimates from the Federal Highway Administration. These crashes claim the lives of countless animals and result in hundreds of human fatalities annually.
Researchers say the timing of daylight can play an important role in these crashes.
"The animals get active right after dusk and start moving around, including crossing roads or browsing and grazing along roads, and that's when they're hit by vehicles," Tom Langen, a professor of biology at Clarkson University, told Scientific American.
When clocks "fall back" to standard time in autumn, evening commutes typically occur closer to dusk — precisely when many animals become active.
That overlap dramatically increases the likelihood that drivers will cross paths with wildlife.
Langen co-authored a 2021 analysis of over 35,000 deer-vehicle collisions in New York. The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, revealed a striking pattern of "far higher" crash rates during standard time, especially on weekdays.
The heightened risk appears to be associated with the dangers of driving at dusk. Researchers have found that deer collisions are 14 times more likely to occur just after dark than before sunset, resulting in a "net increase" during standard time months.
According to a study published in 2022 in Current Biology, adopting permanent daylight saving time could prevent an estimated 36,000 deer deaths and save approximately 33 human lives each year.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 "We were surprised to find that the increase in collisions that you get when it's darker in the evening during standard time [was] not offset by reduced collisions in the morning," Laura Prugh, a professor of quantitative wildlife sciences and senior author of the study, told Scientific American.
For drivers, researchers say the takeaway is simple: Remain alert — at all times, to be sure, but particularly near dusk and especially in areas known for wildlife crossings. Animals often travel in groups, so spotting one near the road may mean others are nearby.
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