No real evidence there are more traffic crashes after springing forward

Among other reasons, proponents trying to do away with Daylight Saving Time in Washington state argued to the Legislature the time change results in more traffic accidents.

“Heart attacks increase, traffic accidents increase, workplace incidents increase and suicides tend to increase in the week after Daylight Saving Time starts,” Ray Harwood, the founder of Time Zone Report, told KIRO Radio.

Related: Daylight Saving Time screws us up, so why do we keep springing forward?

However, KIRO Radio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan found out there’s no direct correlation between the change and crashes the following Monday morning.

According to data from state trooper Chris Webb, there were 24 more crashes on major King County roadways than the previous Monday. But Webb said that particular Monday was very rainy. He would blame the weather over drowsy driving.

In 2013, there were three more crashes the Monday following Daylight Saving Time than a week prior – 36 to 33.

In 2014, there were 18 fewer accidents than the Monday before.

“I’m not sure there is enough evidence to really say that accidents are more prevalent than the Monday after Daylight Saving Time,” Chris concluded.

Even so, AAA said one-in-six crashes nationwide can be linked to a drowsy driving. But again, that’s every day for many of us.

At least 41 percent of drivers have admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel, according to AAA.

Washington state statistics from 2013 — the most recent year for which numbers are available — show 77 serious injuries were attributed to drowsy driving. Ten people were killed that year. But officials said the numbers may actually be higher since drowsy driving can be hard to prove.

The Washington State Patrol said, contrary to popular belief, most drowsy driving crashes happen during the day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.