Summer time is introduced on the weekend: experts advise getting used to the body in advance – Respublika.lt

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The weekend is introduced during the weekend: experts advise getting used to the body in advance. Photo of Elta

Andrius Žiukelis, head of the Expert Division of the insurance company BTA, says that after analyzing the traffic accident statistics of recent years, it has been observed that most of the traffic accidents are registered not in the first days after spring, but towards the middle of the week.

“Sundays tend to be quieter after a while, apparently people try to take advantage of a shortened day for passive rest. However, as of Monday, the number of accidents has started to rise, peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a similar level of accidents persists through the end of the week. Therefore, it would be best if we were very careful on the street and behind the wheel until both our body and the traffic on the roads adapted to the new regime. After a while, the human body gets used to the new time and everything goes back to the old tracks, ”says A. Žiukelis.

According to him, the only difference with recent years is 2020, when there was no greater jump in accidents due to the quarantine that has strongly adjusted the movement within the country.

We “crossed” the time zone at night

Insurers point out that after the investment of time, certain circumstances of traffic accidents become more frequent. “We have noticed that over time, the number of traffic accidents when parking cars increases several times and more accidents occur when reversing or hitting the back of another car. There are definitely people for whom turning time unbalances the whole rhythm. of the day, so drivers and other road users are distracted, perhaps not asleep, in a hurry and therefore do not appreciate all the circumstances, ”explains A. Žiukelis.

Many people, doctors and scientists claim that the time change can have a negative effect on well-being: insomnia, tension and difficulty concentrating. Researchers at the University of Colorado in the United States conducted a study that found that in the first week after the spring weather reversal, 6 percent of the US accidents were more serious. This conclusion was made after analyzing almost 733 thousand. traffic accidents from 1996 to 2017. The percentages would likely be even higher if the researchers had analyzed not only serious accidents, but all other recorded accidents as well.

Several scientific studies show that the negative effects of weather change on the human body are most pronounced in the first few days, but adaptation can take up to two weeks. According to A. Žiukelis, the company’s statistics show that the highest risk of accidents is in the first week.

Some scientists even call the time change a small time zone crossing, likening it to temporary changes in well-being and sleep caused by flying a plane across time zones.

Drowsiness can be equated to the effects of alcohol.

A. Žiukelis says that the main problem after reversing the spring time is the reduction of sleep time and the resulting fatigue, distraction and drowsiness. In addition to all these aspects, drivers’ patience may be tested this year by slightly higher car flows in cities as students return to school. According to the insurance expert, we are gradually returning to reality where congestion is forming almost constantly on city streets.

After the time has passed, many complain of feeling drowsy for some time. “This situation is quite dangerous: the speed of decision-making slows down, reaction time increases, it becomes difficult to concentrate and weigh all the circumstances properly. Not surprisingly, the drowsiness of driving experts is often equated with alcohol intoxication, ”says A. Žiukelis.