At 2:00 am this Sunday, daylight saving time ends. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night!
Also, resetting the clocks is always a good time to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors to make sure you stay safe all winter long.
And finally, ABC11.com (WTVD) reminds us that:
The extra hour of daylight in the evening will be lost until March 2016, meaning that drivers, pedestrians and cyclists will have to pay extra attention to their surroundings as night approaches. For many, the time change means their commute home or evening activities will now take place at dusk or after sunset.
To accommodate for the earlier darkness, the N.C. Department of Transportation recommends drivers follow these tips to make the roads safer for everyone:
- Check all vehicle lights to ensure they work properly. This includes headlights, parking lights, turn signals/emergency flashers, brake lights, tail and marker lights, interior lights and instrumentation lighting;
- Make sure your vehicle’s headlights are on and aimed properly;
- Use the night setting on your rearview mirror to avoid glare from oncoming headlights;
- Switch your headlights from high beam to low beam as oncoming vehicles approach;
- Drive cautiously. Be alert and watchful for bicyclists and pedestrians on the roadside, as well as at crosswalks. They may not see or hear you coming;
- Supervise small children as they enter and exit the vehicle, especially when parking on a street. Let them get in or out through a curbside door away from traffic;
- Remove sunglasses at dusk to increase visibility. Motorists often forget they are wearing them;
- Keep your eyes moving from side to side while driving, rather than focusing on the center line or the road ahead. This practice keeps your eyes adjusted to the dark and helps avoid “highway hypnosis,” a state which impairs reaction time; and
- Be sure you are well rested. Adjusting to the loss of an hour of sleep can make you tired. Do not drive if you feel drowsy.
For pedestrians and bicyclists:
- Wear brightly colored clothing or reflective gear that is easily illuminated by a vehicle’s headlights;
- Use crosswalks. Do not jaywalk;
- Look both ways before crossing the street; and
- Walk on sidewalks when possible and face oncoming traffic.
