Turn Those Clocks Back Sunday! Daylight Saving Time Ends

The South Brunswick, N.J. Police Department reminds residents to turn back their clocks Sunday. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, so before heading to bed Saturday night, residents should remember to;

• Set Clocks Back - Turn clocks back one hour Saturday before going to bed. (Remember “fall back”Sunday, November 2nd)

• Smoke Detectors- Check and replace batteries if needed and make sure the devices around your house are working properly. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that about 16 million homes in the country have smoke alarms that do not work, due, in most cases, to dead or missing batteries. Nearly 2,700 people die and more than 15,000 are injured each year because of fires that started in their homes.

• Carbon Monoxide Detectors- Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. More than 20,000 people visit the emergency room and nearly 500 are killed each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

South Brunswick Police want motorists to be aware that with shorter days and longer nights the potential for pedestrian accidents increases. Twilight is one of the most challenging times to drive because your eyes are adjusting to the increasing darkness.According to the National Safety Council, traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day.

Ninety percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, which is severely limited at night. After sundown, a motorist’s depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised.In addition, most pedestrian fatalities occur after sundown. In 2011, 68 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide occurred at night (6:00 p.m. – 5:59 a.m.), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Driver Safety Tips · If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they’ll make it easier for other drivers to see you.· Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicles’ speeds and distances at night.· When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beams so you don’t blind the driver ahead of you.

Pedestrian Safety Tips· Do not cross in the middle of the street or between parked cars.· Cross only at intersections. Do not jaywalk.· Avoid walking in traffic where there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. If you have to walk on a road that does not have sidewalks, walk facing traffic.· Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if you are walking near traffic at night. Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.· Allow extra time and distance for a vehicle to stop in inclement weather.· Do not let umbrellas or jacket hoods block your view of approaching traffic.