By james art 
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The end of daylight savings time brings brighter morning commutes and earlier sunsets, which can affect your driving.
“These things, combined with the sleep disruption that many people experience immediately after the time change, can lead to drowsy driving and that can certainly be dangerous on the roads,” said Shawn Steward, AAA Kansas spokesman.
Symptoms include memory problems, preoccupation, and trouble keeping the eyes open.
“Drivers who have slept less than 5 hours have a crash risk comparable to drunk driving,” Steward said.
Earlier nights affect the two-thirds of people who rely on vision correction who cannot see clearly in the dark.
“Only around 37% of them had an eye exam in the last year or more, so it’s important to remember if you wear glasses and contact lenses to make sure you see your eye doctor regularly and make sure your prescription is current,” Steward said.
There are ways to better focus on the nights ahead, whether you’re sleepy or visually impaired.
“Especially in the dark, sometimes it’s hard for your eyes to focus. So, try to keep your eyes moving. If there are headlights on your road, if you look into the headlights and they create a slight glare, if you can look to the edge of the road, to the side of the road, that can help you,” Steward said.
You should also remember to be polite on the roads.
“So when other people are nearby, if you see oncoming headlights or if there’s someone you’re approaching from behind, make sure you don’t have bright lights on because that can cause visibility problems for others on the road,” Steward said .
Mr Steward recommends keeping your headlights on, making sure your lights and other signals are working well, and increasing your following distance if you feel drowsy.
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