'Dusk And Darkness' Campaign Begins As Daylight Saving Time Ends

NEW YORK CITY — Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, and city officials are reminding the public that with shorter daylight hours comes an increase in traffic injuries and fatalities.

Through their annual "Dusk and Darkness" campaign, now in its sixth year, Vision Zero Task Force personnel — from city agencies such as the NYPD, Department of Transportation and Taxi and Limousine Commission — are encouraging drivers to look out for other road users.

"Historical data has told us that pedestrians and cyclists are more frequently struck by vehicles in the early evening hours during the months where there's fewer daylight hours, such as November, December, January and February," NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Royster said.

Royster said that data is based on a year-over-year collision trend, which shows a correlation between early-onset darkness and increased injuries and fatalities on the road.

The Dusk and Darkness campaign seeks to mitigate those injuries and fatalities by conducting outreach to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

During the campaign, Vision Zero Task Force agencies use social media to alert drivers of the dangers of lower visibility, while the NYPD increases its on-street presence around sunset hours on high-crash corridors, with a focus on speeding and failure to yield.

Campaign officials are hosting their "Day of Awareness" today, in which DOT and NYPD street teams station themselves at high-visibility locations across all five boroughs to "remind commuters of the increased dangers of traffic crashes during the fall evening and overnight hours," officials said in a news release.

And evidence suggests these strategies have made a difference.

The average annual number of fatalities in the first five years of the campaign has declined by 18 percent, as compared to the number over the five years leading up to it, said Kim Wiley-Schwartz, assistant commissioner of education and outreach at the DOT.

Officials are asking the public to remain on the alert — or to simply not drive during the evening.

"I'll be the first to admit it: I hate driving at night. It's hard. It's dangerous," said Keith Kerman, chief fleet officer and deputy commissioner at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. "If you can avoid driving at night, the best thing to do? Don’t do it. Take the subway. There’s no shame in not driving at night; only safety."