Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13, when we change clocks to “spring ahead” one hour. In exchange for “losing” an hour of sleep, we get to enjoy sunshine later into the evening hours.
There’s a whole debate over whether to make Daylight Saving Time permanent due to the effect the bi-annual time change has on people’s health. More than 40 states, including Georgia, are looking into doing away with the seasonal time shift and now Congress is considering making Daylight Saving Time permanent.
MORE:
- Congress hates changing the clocks just like everyone else
- Kemp signs permanent daylight saving time bill into law in Georgia
While the time change has its critics, fire officials routinely use it as a marker to remind people to change their smoke alarm batteries, which should be changed twice a year.
“Smoke alarm batteries can be the difference between life and death for too many Georgians,” says state fire commissioner John King.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly three out of five home fire deaths occur in properties with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that fail to operate. King encourages Georgians to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks in the spring and fall.
It’s also a good time to change carbon monoxide detector batteries, which should also be changed twice annually.
Daylight Saving Time ends this year on November 6.
