(CG)

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

TIME TO SPRING FORWARD --- AND

CHANGE THOSE CLOCKS.

(HE)

WHILE LOSING ONE HOUR OF SLEEP

SUNDAY MAY NOT SEEM LIKE MUCH --

THE TIME CHANGE -- MEANS CHANGES

TO YOUR DRIVING HABITS.

(CG)

EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER

COURTNEY CARTER SPOKE WITH

TRIPLE A.

SHE JOINS US IN STUDIO --- WITH

AN IMPORTANT REMINDER FROM

THEM...

NEW AT 5:30.

(CC)

THIS WEEKEND MANY OF US WILL BE

ENJOYING A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA

SUNSHINE...

BUT THAT MAY COME AT A COST..

THAT EXTRA HOUR CAN MAKE YOU

SLEEPY BEHIND THE WHEEL....

ON SUNDAY AT 2 AM, TIME WILL

MOVE FORWARD...

BUT IT MAY TAKE LONGER FOR OUR*

BODY CLOCKS TO ADJUST.

AAA SAYS THE DAY AFTER, IS

LINKED TO AN INCREASE IN CAR

ACCIDENTS EVERY YEAR.

"it typically takes our body

about a week to adjust to that

one hour loss of sleep and that

might sound strange that just

one hour can affect us so much"

DIANA IMUNDI, PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MANAGER WITH AAA NORTHEAST..SAYS

IT CAN.

AND THAT DRIVERS CAN BE SLEEPY

BEHIND THE WHEEL, WITHOUT EVEN

KNOWING THAT THEY ARE.

"we see what we call micro naps,

people affecting by that loss of

sleep and their eyes start to

drift while they are behind the

wheel..we see a huge impact on

driver safety"

AAA ADDED THAT AS THE DAYS

BECOME LONGER...THERE ARE ALSO

MORE PEOPLE OUTSIDE AND AS A

RESULT--MORE DISTRACTIONS.

"we see alot more pedestrians

out on the roadway, alot more

neighbors walking their dogs,

children playing outside. so

there are more distractions in

general especially on our drive

home"

BUT THE CLOCK CHANGE CAN ALSO BE

A GOOD* REMINDER, TO CHECK ON

SOMETHING ELSE IMPORTANT...

"its a perfect time to remind

people to check their smoke and

carbon monoxide detectors.

batteries should be changed at

least once a year so its perfect

timing when you are changing

your clocks...you check your

smoke detectors"

(CC)

SEVERAL STATES HAVE CONSIDERED

LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT..

RHODE ISLAND..IS NOT ONE OF

THOSE STATES..BUT ANY PROGRESS

FOR THAT MOVE, HAS FOR NOW,

STALLED.