Changing the clocks makes people DRIVE more dangerously because it disrupts our sleep, study finds

Changing the clocks could have greater consequences than just missing your alarm, as a new study has found it makes us drive more dangerously. Researchers at the University of Padova in Italy and the University of Surrey have found that Daylight Saving Time (DST) disrupts our sleep-wake cycle. They tested the driving ability of 23 male Italian drivers before and after the introduction of springtime DST, and found they took more risks as a result of the change. Their reaction times and ability to read situations on the road were also compromised after losing the hour. This is thought to be the result of sleep deprivation and disturbances to their circadian rhythms - the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and other rhythmic functions.