LOWELL — Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey continues his push to stop the clocks from changing Daylight saving time ends on Sunday November 3.
Markey is calling on Congress to make daylight saving time permanent. He shared a video on social media Thursday of Lowell, lamenting the impending plunge into darkness.
‘We need daylight saving time all year round’
“It’s 3:34 in the afternoon and the sun is shining. But in a week, when daylight saving time ends, the sun will start to set at this time,” Markey said. “We need daylight saving time all year round… we have to make it happen.
Markey and Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act adopted unanimously the US Senate in 2022, but the House of Representatives took no action.
Car accidents rise in Massachusetts after the clock goes back
In Boston, the sun sets at 4:34 PM on the first day after the clock changes. The earliest sunsets occur in early December at 4:11 PM
The week after daylight saving time ends is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week in Massachusetts. AAA Northeast said changing sleep schedules could cause more car accidents.
“After the clocks ‘fall back’ in early November, 5 to 6 p.m. will become increasingly dangerous,” AAA said in a statement. “From 2019 to 2023, there was a 38% increase in the number of accidents (5,931) during the 5 p.m. hour of November compared to October (4,267).”
There was also a 159% increase in pedestrian accidents during that time, according to AAA.
Can Massachusetts get rid of the time change?
In recent years, lawmakers on Beacon Hill have heard testimony on bills regarding daylight saving time. Some have called for staying on standard time year-round, while another proposal attempted to get Massachusetts leaves the eastern time zone and switch to the Atlantic time zone used by Eastern Canada and parts of South America.
Advocates say other northeastern states should also join in on stopping the clock change before Massachusetts makes any changes.
