By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
MICHIGAN — Darker mornings and brighter evenings start next week with the change to Daylight Savings Time.
Set clocks ahead 2 a.m. Sunday morning to make the time change.
In August 2005, congress changed daylight-saving time by adding four additional weeks. With that change, daylight savings time begins in March and ends in November instead of April and October.
The idea of manipulating time to have more daylight at the end of the day means driving to work in the dark again for another few weeks, and having more light in the evening.
The time change was done with the idea it would save energy costs on lighting by “springing ahead” an hour in early-March instead of early April, and not “falling back” until early November instead of late October.
Also, while resetting the clocks it is a good time to change the batteries in smoke detectors to make sure they work in case they are needed.
Because the time change means morning will be dark again, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) urges motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to use caution.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,735 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2013 and 66,000 were injured (7,000 of these injuries happened to children 14 and younger). NHTSA reports more crashes occurred in dark conditions (72 percent) than in daylight conditions (25 percent).
Pedestrians and bicyclists should wear bright, reflective clothing in order to be seen more easily, and those behind the wheel need to pay close attention and eliminate distractions while driving.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.