Traffic accident rates have been found to ________ after the spring change to daylight savings time and to ________ after the fall change back to standard time.

A) increase; increase
B) decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease
D) decrease; increase

Traffic accident rates tend to increase after the spring change to daylight savings time due to the loss of one hour of sleep affecting drivers' alertness and reaction times. Conversely, after the fall change back to standard time, accident rates tend to decrease as people gain an extra hour of sleep, potentially improving alertness.