Permanent daylight saving time? Senator from Massachusetts says "we gotta get it done."
LOWELL - Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is continuing his push to stop the clocks from changing as daylight saving time comes to an end on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Markey is calling on Congress to make daylight saving time permanent. He shared a video on social media Thursday from Lowell, lamenting the impending plunge into darkness.
"We need year-round Daylight Saving Time"
"It's 3:34 in the afternoon and the sun is shining. But a week from now when daylight saving time ends, the sun is going to begin to set at this time," Markey said. "We need year-round daylight saving time ... we gotta get it done.
We need permanent Daylight Saving Time. pic.twitter.com/oQJtFzfXmd
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) October 31, 2024
Markey and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's Sunshine Protection Act unanimously passed the U.S. Senate in 2022, but the House of Representatives failed to take action.
Car crashes go up in Massachusetts after clocks fall back
In Boston, the sun sets at 4:34 p.m. on the first day after the clocks change. The earliest sunsets happen in the beginning of December at 4:11 p.m.
The week after Daylight Saving Time ends is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week in Massachusetts. AAA Northeast said changing sleep schedules can cause more car crashes.
"After the clocks 'fall back' at the beginning of November, 5 to 6 p.m. becomes increasingly dangerous," AAA said in a statement. "From 2019 to 2023, there was a 38% increase in crashes in the 5 p.m. hour in the month of November (5,931) compared to October (4,267)."
There was also a 159% jump in pedestrian crashes during that time, AAA said.
Can Massachusetts get rid of the time change?
In recent years, lawmakers on Beacon Hill have heard testimony on bills concerning daylight saving time. Some have called for staying in standard time year-round while another proposal sought to have Massachusetts leave the Eastern Time Zone and switch to the Atlantic Time Zone that's used by eastern Canada and parts of South America.
Advocates say other northeast states would also have to be on board with stopping the clock change before Massachusetts makes any changes.