SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ON MOTOR VEHICLE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

This report shows that Daylight Saving Time (DST) reduces the number of persons killed in motor vehicle fatal traffic accidents by about one percent. This estimate is based on a spectral (Fourier) analysis of these fatalities which utilizes a filtering technique to identify the part of the fatality frequency spectrum which is sensitive to DST while suppressing all other frequencies. To establish a cause/effect relationship between DST and changes in the filtered fatality time series, the changes are measured in two ways: (1) Across DST transitions and (2) for corresponding dates in years with and without DST. Certain statistical criteria are then applied to these measurements in order to confirm the existence of a DST effect on accidents and fatalities.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Meyerhoff, N J
• Publication Date: 1977-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 140 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Correlation analysis; Crash rates; Daily; Daylight; Daylight saving time; Fatalities; Fourier analysis; Injuries; Spectrum analysis; Statistical analysis; Statistics; Surveys; Time; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Causes; Mortality; Motor vehicle accidents
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00159011
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-NHTSA-77-2 Final Rpt., DOT-HS-802-324
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 15 1978 12:00AM