Clocks go back an hour

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am on Sunday, November 6.

While many are looking forward to an extra hour of sleep, others are frustrated the time change still happens.

“Most people that I’ve talked to, the issue is that it just doesn’t seem useful or relevant any more,” says Lara Beckett, representative for Area C of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. “And the data’s starting to show pretty clearly that the accident level, certainly on our roads, goes up with the time change.”

And it’s not just vehicle accidents.

“Workplace accidents increase. There’s a spike after the time change. These are most typically with the loss of an hour’s sleep. In the few days after losing an hours sleep, there’s a spike in workplace accidents and also carnage on the roads.”

She says the North Central Government Association supported ditching Daylight Savings at its AGM in May. From there, the resolution was sent to the Union of BC Municipalities AGM but Beckett says it never made it to the floor due to time constraints. Instead, it was considered by UBCM’s executive committee.

“Their recommendation was that it should not be endorsed based on previous policy but I think it was back in the early 90s the last time they dealt with this issue so it may be time to review this topic.”

So Daylight Savings is here to stay for now and it does have its uses.

That extra hour is a great time to do a brief home safety audit. Check the batteries and functionality of any smoke or carbon monoxide alarms in your home. If you keep a fire extinguisher in your house, shop or garage, check its expiry date and see if the batteries in your emergency flashlights need changing.