Safety tips for end of daylight saving time

Clockmakers Rich Finn, left, and Tom Erb adjust the time zone controllers on a series of clocks that’ll be installed at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at the Electric Time Company, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Medfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

LOS ANGELES – If this weekend feels a little longer than usual, you’re right — thanks to the Sunday morning end of daylight saving time.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, California and most other states will “fall back” one hour as the state returns to Pacific Standard Time.

Safety tips

Fire officials have urged residents to use the clock changing ritual as a reminder to replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as emergency flashlights.

Residents have also been reminded to ensure the devices have not passed an expiration date, and to clear dust from slots or sensors.

Smoke alarms have a life span of about 10 years and have the date stamped on the back, fire officials said.

Fire officials recommend a smoke alarm with good batteries in all sleeping areas, one outside each bedroom and on each level of a home.

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Alarms should be mounted high on walls, four inches to a foot away from the ceiling, or on ceilings, at least four inches from the nearest wall.

On pitched ceilings, they should be installed at least four inches from the highest point.

Smoke detectors should not be kept near windows, doors or ducts where drafts could interfere with their operation, officials added.

The end of daylight saving time means it gets dark outside earlier. If you’re used to driving in the early evening, remember to turn on your headlights sooner than you’re accustomed to while heading home from work.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are at a particular disadvantage as waning sunlight makes non-motorists more difficult to see and thus much more prone to accidents.

They are encouraged to take extra precautions, including wearing bright, reflective clothing, using bike lights and sticking to protected sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes whenever possible.

More safety tips are available here. (With CNS report)

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