Fall back: Change your batteries, change your clocks this weekend

Nov. 3—Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook on Friday said smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are examples of essential lifesaving apparatus.

Cook is highlighting the importance of fresh batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors as Pennsylvanians' attention turns toward fall and this weekend's "fall back" time change.

"Just like the rest of our household equipment, these devices require routine maintenance," Cook said. "Simply put, a functional smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector is the most effective way to ensure one's family members are alerted early enough to respond. Test your alarms monthly and replace the batteries regularly."

According to data from the National Fire Protection Association, from the moment an alarm sounds, occupants may have as little as two minutes to safely exit the building.

Cook added dead or missing batteries are the most common cause of smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector malfunctions. When functioning, smoke alarms can decrease the risk of dying in a home fire by as much as half.

Often called "the silent killer," carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can incapacitate victims before they are aware, they have been exposed. Sources include wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, gas-fired fireplaces, appliances, grills and generators, and motor vehicles. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often mistaken for the flu and include nausea, headaches, dizziness, disorientation and fatigue.

These safety tips can help you equip your home properly with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors:

—Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home including the basement.

—Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.

—It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.

—Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.

—A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove.

—People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.

—Newer models of smoke alarms marketed as having long-lasting batteries may not need to have their batteries replaced; however, these models should still be tested. Many homeowners still use older models that use standard batteries that must be replaced regularly.

For additional information on fire safety, including seasonal fire safety tips, visit www.osfc.pa.gov.

AAA: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Nov. 5-11

As we prepare to turn our clocks back one hour, AAA is reminding motorists to be prepared for sun glare during their Monday morning commute and for reduced visibility on the road during their Monday evening commute.

Beginning at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time will end, which will result in fewer daylight hours.

"The end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend will bring shorter days and longer nights," said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "Night driving brings challenges, so we urge motorists to slow down, increase their following distance, use headlights to make yourself more visible, and be extra cautious on the roadways."

And the American Red Cross encourages everyone to test their smoke alarms as they turn their clocks back to make sure the alarms are working.

"Home fires claim more lives every year than all natural disasters combined, but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half," said Jorge Martinez, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. "The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. When you turn your clocks back this weekend, test your smoke alarms too to help prevent a tragedy in your home."

AAA's Tidwell says the time change can cause disturbed sleep patterns, and when combined with the earlier dusk and darkness during the evening commute, become a formula for drowsy driving and fatigue-related crashes — conditions many drivers may be unaware of during the time change.

Although under-reported in government statistics, previous research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has estimated that 16% to 21% of all police-reported fatal vehicle crashes likely involve drowsy driving.

"While many will enjoy an extra hour of sleep this weekend, few commuters and motorists realize the added dangers that can come as the result of a time change — especially when they are behind the wheel," said Tidwell "This one hour shift in time during the fall not only creates darker driving conditions, it can also disturb sleep patterns, perhaps even resulting in drowsy driving episodes."

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's 2020 Traffic Safety Culture Index data shows that most motorists (95%) identify drowsy driving as very or extremely dangerous. Yet, despite high rates of perceived danger and personal/social disapproval regarding drowsy driving, about 17% of drivers admit to having driven while being so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open, at least once in the past 30 days.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nationwide, there were 684 deaths from drowsy-driving-related crashes in 2021. Tired drivers are not as focused and are at risk of being distracted.

Almost 2,000 people were killed outside of the vehicle, in roadside crashes over the five-year period from 2017-2021, and nearly 1,500 — more than 75% of those deaths occurred after dark, according to data* analyzed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Tidwell said Pennsylvania and more than a dozen other states have Move Over laws that also include motorists with disabled vehicles.

Over the past year, local Red Cross volunteers responded to help more than 6,100 people in Pennsylvania affected by more than 1,500 home fires. Home fires account for most of the 60,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to annually across the country.

Include at least two ways to get out of every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor's home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.