It`s Time to `Spring Forward`

There's plenty to trip you up when it comes to the semiannual ritual of moving clock hands forward, then backward.

First, there's the name. It gets mangled daily--in all time zones--and usually is written and pronounced as "daylight savings time," when actually it's "daylight-saving time." Then there's the whole issue of the actual date. It used to begin the last Sunday in April. Now it's been moved again, to the second Sunday in March, and today's the day.

Daylight-saving time brings an extra hour of evening sunshine until November 1, 2015 (the first Sunday in November), when standard time returns.

Hawaii does not observe the change, and neither does Arizona -- with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe. Navajo Nation participates in the daylight saving time policy, due to its large size and location in three states.

The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands also do not observe daylight saving time.

And if you're in Indiana, you better pull out a map and check what county you are in. Ten western counties in Indiana are in the Central time zone, and they observe daylight-saving time. Five counties adjacent to Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati are in the Eastern time zone and voluntarily adopt daylight-saving time. The remaining 77 counties stay on Eastern Standard Time all year.

Confused yet?

Then you've got to remember--unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii and parts of Indiana--whether to set the clock forward or backward. Luckily, "spring forward, fall back" has become a well-worn mnemonic phrase.

So, set the alarm for 2am Sunday, just so you can change the clock to the correct time: 3am

The Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests using the occasion to put fresh batteries in smoke alarms and update general precaution plans at home.

Spokesman Ken Giles said households should have fire escape plans that include two ways out of the building. He said the plans should be practiced in order to avoid any delays in an emergency.

Giles told Associated Press Radio that in the past 10 years, annual fire deaths have decreased to 2,400 from 3,400. Giles advised keeping ignition sources away from children--things like matches, lighters and candles.

As for the smoke alarms, test the batteries monthly and change them every six months.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Editorial Staff