When 2019 Daylight Saving Time Ends In RI: When Clocks Turn Back

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, in Rhode Island, which means earlier sunsets and shorter afternoons. That’s after Halloween and not before, as many people seem to believe.

The time change officially takes place at 2 a.m., but you don’t necessarily have to move the big hand on your clock behind an hour. The change is automatic for most smartphones, computers, tablets and other digital devices.

If you’re still using an analog alarm clock, you’ll most likely want to move it back before you go to sleep on Saturday, or when you wake up the next morning.

Massachusetts has looked at the possibility of doing away with Daylight Saving Time, but a special commission that examined it suggested not to make a change unless the rest of the Northeast does.

Not every state follows Daylight Saving Time. Most of Arizona and Hawaii, along with some U.S. territories, adhere to standard time all year long, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Brief History of Daylight Saving Time

Ben Franklin is credited by many for being the first person to propose the concept of Daylight Saving Time centuries before it was implemented. The more modern variation of the practice, though, reportedly comes from an entomologist from New Zealand named George Hudson.

In 1895, Hudson proposed a two-hour time shift so he’d have additional daylight to go bug hunting in the summer, according to National Geographic.

The practice of Daylight Saving Time has been used sporadically in the United States since World War I. However, it took until 1966 for Congress to establish the Uniform Time Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and federally declaring Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October.

The Dangers of Time Change

Longer nights mean more potential for drowsy driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows drowsy-driving crashes most frequently occur between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late-afternoon.

The evening rush hour is already a dangerous time because the roads are crowded and drivers are eager to get home. With the dusk coming an hour earlier, be extra patient, stay in your lane and keep an eye out for drivers who are darting in and out of lanes.