Daylight Saving Time Ends: What Happens to Pedestrian Deaths

Quick answer: When daylight saving time ends in the United States, the total number of pedestrians killed barely changes, but the danger moves from the morning to the evening rush. Comparing the 14 days after the clocks fall back with the 14 days before, across 2020 to 2024, pedestrian deaths between 5pm and 8pm rose from 427 to 628 (up 47%), while deaths between 6am and 9am fell from 191 to 135 (down 29%), according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Over the whole day the totals were almost the same: 1,761 before and 1,721 after. This year the clocks go back at 2am on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Before and after the clocks fall back

US pedestrian deaths, 14 days before and 14 days after the end of daylight saving time, five years combined (2020 to 2024):

• 5pm to 8pm: 427 before, 628 after (up 47%)
• 6am to 9am: 191 before, 135 after (down 29%)
• All hours: 1,761 before, 1,721 after (down 2%)

By year, the full-day totals moved both ways: 302 to 314 in 2020, 397 to 348 in 2021, 384 to 335 in 2022, 352 to 375 in 2023 and 326 to 349 in 2024. The shift between morning and evening is the consistent part of the picture, not the daily total.

Why the evening gets more dangerous

Falling back moves an hour of daylight from the evening to the morning. The morning commute and school run suddenly happen in daylight, which is why deaths in those hours fall. The evening rush, when far more people are walking and driving, moves into dusk and darkness overnight. Drivers who saw pedestrians clearly at 6pm the week before now meet them in the dark, and that is where the deaths rise.

The same pattern shows up in Great Britain, where the clocks change a week earlier: after the change, pedestrians killed rose from 79 to 114 and evening killed-or-seriously-injured casualties doubled. See clocks going back and pedestrian accidents in the UK.

October to December is the deadliest stretch

The end of daylight saving time falls inside the most dangerous part of the year for people on foot. From 2020 to 2024, FARS recorded more pedestrian deaths in October (3,686), December (3,668) and November (3,649) than in any other months, and the single deadliest date was January 1. Halloween adds its own risk a day before the change this year; see is Halloween the deadliest night for pedestrians.

Arizona (outside the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not use daylight saving time, so their clocks do not change; their small numbers are included in the totals above.

How to stay safe after the time change

If you are walking: - Wear something light or reflective on the walk home; dark clothing is close to invisible at dusk. - Cross at marked crossings and intersections, where drivers look for pedestrians. - Do not assume a driver can see you because you can see their headlights.

If you are driving: - Slow down between 5pm and 8pm for the first weeks after the change, especially on wide roads with speed limits of 35 to 45 mph. - Turn your headlights on before sunset, and keep the windshield clean inside and out. - Expect people walking and cycling home in the dark for the first time since spring.

How these numbers were counted

All figures are from NHTSA's FARS annual files for 2020 to 2024, the census of crashes on US public roads in which someone died within 30 days (public domain). Pedestrians are people on foot killed by a motor vehicle, with times as recorded by police. The "before" period is the 14 days up to the Saturday before daylight saving time ends (November 1, 2020; November 7, 2021; November 6, 2022; November 5, 2023; November 3, 2024); the "after" period is the 14 days from that Sunday. Part of any change also reflects the season itself. The most recent year can still be revised. State figures are on pedestrian deaths by state, and the full daily pattern on what time of day most road accidents happen.