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As Daylight Saving Time ends, Toronto police issue warnings to pedestrians, drivers

Click to play video: 'End of Daylight savings time comes with strong warnings'
End of Daylight savings time comes with strong warnings
WATCH ABOVE: As most Canadians switched their clocks to go back one hour, the change comes with a strong warnings. Katherine Ward spoke with police and fire crews about the safety elements they hoping are top of mind for citizens at this point in the season – Nov 4, 2018

When the clocks fall back, it often means very little for parents with small children.

Regardless of the time change, their kids’ internal clocks didn’t shift one bit, many told Global News —meaning they were awake very early Sunday morning.

As Daylight Saving Time came to an end overnight, others welcomed the extra sleep and early sunlight.

However, the time change also comes with a few warnings, particularly from the Toronto Police Service.

“At this time of year, we do see an increase in the collisions [and with] pedestrians [being] struck,” said Toronto police spokesperson Gary Long.
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Now, with the sun setting earlier, pedestrians and drivers alike should note that it will be much darker during evening rush hour.

Police say it’s important to make sure you can be seen and that you are paying attention.

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“Just got to be aware of their surrounding both drivers and pedestrians,” Long said.

“If pedestrians can wear maybe lighter coloured clothing, some clothing has reflectors on it that can all help too.”

Firefighters also use the time change as a reminder for residents to check their home smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

If you have never checked a detector before, it’s fairly straightforward: the key is to make sure the batteries are working and that the unit itself hasn’t expired.

“We recommend that batteries be changed after 10 years,” said Toronto Fire Services platoon chief Kevin Aucoin. “For carbon monoxide detectors, after five to seven years they should be replaced.”

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Doing this small check, Aucoin said, can save your life — alarms are the first line of defense when it comes to a fire emergency.

“Fires are burning faster and hotter these days,” Aucoin said. “The sooner someone is alerted to smoke and they get out of their house, the more chance of survival.”

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