BUFFALO, N.Y. — With the end of Daylight Saving Time, people are being urged to pay attention to a couple things.
One is driving drowsy. The state Department of Motor Vehicles reports that driving while fatigued caused more than 5,000 crashes in New York state last year. Nearly 2,000 of those led to injury, and more than a dozen ended in death.
That makes drowsy drivers just as dangerous as ones who are speeding, distracted, or impaired. The governor's traffic safety committee said risk is even higher for young and unexperienced drivers.
The beginning and the end of Daylight Saving Time is also when firefighters recommend that you change or test the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
If you have long-term "sealed" alarms, you can double check the expiration date and hit the "test" button to make sure they're working properly. It only takes a few minutes, and it could save your life.