Road Safety

Darker Commutes Are Here: How to Drive Safely After the Clocks Change

5 min read

A dark, foggy residential street lit by street lamps after sunset

Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, November 1, and the clocks fell back an hour. For millions of people, that means the drive home from work now happens in the dark.

The first few weeks after the change are an adjustment period for everyone on the road. Here’s why darker commutes raise the risk of a crash, what you can do to stay safe, and what to do if you’re hurt in an accident after dark.

Why the time change raises crash risk

The weeks after the clocks fall back bring more crashes during the evening rush, especially for people on foot. In a AAA Northeast analysis of Massachusetts crash data, crashes during the 5 p.m. hour rose 37% from October to November 2024 (AAA Northeast).

Three things change at once:

  • It’s dark at rush hour. The busiest driving time of the day now happens after sunset, when it’s harder to judge distance and spot hazards.
  • Your sleep schedule shifts. The extra hour sounds like a gift, but any change to your body clock can leave you drowsier than usual for days, especially on the drive home.
  • Glare moves. Low sun now lines up with morning and late-afternoon commutes, which can blind drivers heading east or west at exactly the wrong moment.

Pedestrians and cyclists are hardest to see

People on foot face the biggest jump in risk. In 2023, 77% of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. happened in the dark, compared with 19% in daylight, according to NHTSA (NHTSA, Pedestrians: 2023 Data).

The time change makes that worse. A 2025 study by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, published in the Journal of Safety Research, found that fatal pedestrian and cyclist crashes rose 13% in the five weeks after the fall clock change, driven by changing light conditions (IIHS). In Massachusetts, pedestrian crashes in the 5 p.m. hour doubled from October to November 2024 (AAA Northeast).

If you’re walking, running, or biking after work, wear something bright or reflective, carry a light, and cross where drivers expect you.

How to drive safely in the dark

A few small habits make a real difference in the first weeks after the change:

  • Slow down at dusk. Give yourself more time to react to what your headlights reveal.
  • Leave extra following distance. Darkness makes it harder to judge how fast the car ahead is braking.
  • Clean your windshield and headlights. Haze and grime scatter light and add glare.
  • Check that all your lights work, including brake lights and turn signals.
  • Dim your dashboard and avoid looking directly at oncoming headlights. Glance toward the right edge of the road instead.
  • Watch closely at crosswalks and intersections, especially when turning left.
  • Put the phone away. Distraction costs more when you can see less.
  • Pull over if you’re drowsy. Yawning, heavy eyelids, or drifting lanes mean it’s time to stop, not push through.

Darkness plus a strong El Niño winter

This winter, darker evenings are arriving alongside one of the strongest El Niño patterns on record. NOAA expects a strong-to-very strong El Niño to last through early 2027 (NOAA Climate Prediction Center), and its winter outlook favors wetter-than-average conditions across the Southwest, the South, and the East Coast (The Watchers, on NOAA’s outlook).

For drivers in those regions, that likely means more rainy commutes in the dark. Bad weather on a dark road is a double hazard: lane lines are harder to see, stopping takes longer, and glare from oncoming headlights gets worse.

  • Rain: The first rain after a dry stretch can make roads especially slick, and standing water can hide potholes and debris you won’t spot in the dark.
  • Snow and ice: Bridges, overpasses, and shaded spots freeze first, and black ice is nearly invisible at night.
  • Fog: Use your low beams. High beams reflect off fog and make it harder to see.

When the weather turns after dark, slow down even more, leave extra room between you and the car ahead, keep your headlights on, and never drive through a flooded road.

If you’re in a crash after dark

Accidents at night can be harder to piece together later, so the first hour matters.

  1. Get to safety and call 911. Turn on your hazard lights, and stay out of traffic if you can.
  2. Photograph everything, using your flash: vehicles, the road, street lights, and any injuries. Note whether the area was poorly lit.
  3. Exchange information with the other driver, and get contact details from any witnesses.
  4. See a doctor, even if you feel fine. Some injuries don’t show up for hours or days. Our article on delayed symptoms after a car accident explains what to watch for.
  5. Be careful with the insurance company. Don’t give a recorded statement or accept a quick offer before you understand your injuries.
  6. Know your deadlines. Every state limits how long you have to file an injury claim, and some deadlines are shorter than people expect.

If you were hurt, talking to a personal injury attorney can help you understand your options, and most offer free consultations. Find a car accident lawyer near you on LawyerUp.

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not legal or medical advice.

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