This weekend, on the night between Saturday and Sunday, we’ll switch from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time. At 2:00 a.m., the clock will be set forward one hour, making it 3:00 a.m., which means we’ll get one hour less sleep.

But drivers, take note: That single stolen hour of sleep can also have a surprisingly significant impact on road safety, warns the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR).

“Jet lag” effect

The switch to Daylight Saving Time means it stays light for an extra hour in the evening, and the sun seems to rise an hour later, but it also affects your body clock.

Since we lose an hour of sleep, we’re often still a bit “groggy” in traffic that first Monday morning, while our bodies think it’s still an hour earlier. And it’s precisely during the morning commute that the risk of accidents can increase due to drowsiness or fatigue.

Moreover, because it is light an hour later, the reduced visibility – especially during the busy morning rush hour – also makes it harder to spot vulnerable road users. The combination of darkness and fatigue can therefore increase the risk of an accident during the morning commute.

Failing to brake or braking too late

On Walloon roads, approximately 1 in 6 fatal accidents is caused by drowsiness, and as many as 1 in 4 on highways. Drowsiness reduces alertness and increases the risk of falling asleep at the wheel – it influences the brain similarly to that of a low blood alcohol level. For example, a drowsy driver may fail to brake or brake too late and may not take evasive action, thereby increasing the force of the collision.

The risk of an accident is also 8 times higher if you have not slept enough or slept only 5 hours for several nights in a row, compared to a driver who has slept 8 hours.

Singing along

The agency is therefore urging drivers to adjust their driving behavior and to be extra vigilant on the roads during this transition period: reduce speed, exercise extra caution at intersections, and check the vehicle’s lights. Keep a greater distance from the car in front of you; your reaction time isn’t at its best.

For pedestrians and cyclists, the AWSR emphasizes the importance of wearing reflective gear and turning on lights on bicycles or e-scooters.

Plus: in the days following the time change, try going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier to make up for the sleep deficit.

Leaving the car window slightly open or drinking water can help keep you awake, just as turning up the radio a bit or singing along if you notice yourself dozing off. Actively singing along keeps your brain more alert than passively listening to a podcast or the news.

If you’re looking for suggestions for a song that gets your heart racing, there’s, of course, “Good Morning” by Kanye West or The Dandy Warhols, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, or “Time” by Pink Floyd – those alarms are going off! – though you’re also guaranteed to wake up to “Trinidad” by Geese, partly because singer Cameron Winter repeatedly screams “There’s a bomb in my car!”

Power nap

But in any case, singing along can help you avoid falling asleep right away because it’s physically active, but it doesn’t eliminate cognitive fatigue.

If you notice your eyes getting heavy or your concentration waning, according to the AWSR and the VIAS Institute, there’s only one real solution: the power nap. Sleep for 15 to 20 minutes, but no longer, or you’ll fall into a deep sleep and wake up even more groggy.

And have a cup of coffee before you take that nap. The caffeine takes about 20 minutes to enter your bloodstream. By the time you wake up from your power nap, the caffeine will give you an extra boost. But nothing beats a good night’s sleep!