Californians Voted For Year-Round Daylight Saving. Could Sunday's Spring Forward Be Permanent?

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) – If this weekend seems unusually short, that's because daylight saving time will begin at 2 a.m. Sunday, meaning it's time to "spring forward" and turn clocks ahead by one hour.

The time change means California will shift into the same hour as Phoenix and Tucson, which do not switch to daylight saving time along with the rest of the Mountain Time Zone. Hawaii also stays on its standard time, meaning the islands will be three hours earlier than Los Angeles for the next half year, instead of two hours.

In November, California voters passed Proposition 7 by a 60-40 percent margin, paving the way for year-round daylight saving time.

The proposition still needs a two-thirds vote from the state legislature, as well as approval from Congress and President Trump, to go into effect.

Santa Monica residents on Saturday voiced their support of the idea of year-round daylight saving time.

"When you change the time, you take time to feel comfortable, and when you just feel comfortable, you need to change it again," said Santa Monica resident Linda Misch.

As usual, firefighters urged people to use the time change as a reminder to check smoke alarms and replace the batteries if necessary.

"Approximately two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms," according to an agency statement. "Since most fatal fires occur at night, it's essential that every home has working smoke alarms to provide an early warning. Working smoke alarms increase the chance of surviving a home fire by 50 percent."

It is also a good time to reset timers on outdoor lights and lawn sprinkler systems.

Fire officials offered the following tips on handling and maintaining
smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors:
-- Install smoke detectors on all floors of your home or apartment.
-- If the devices are hardwired into your electrical system, be sure
to have a backup battery-operated smoke detector in case of a power outage.
-- Mount alarms high on walls, at least four to 12 inches from the ceiling.
-- Never paint over a smoke detector.
-- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove lint or dust.
-- Test the smoke detectors regularly. If the smoke detector "chirps" it is an indication of a low battery, which should be changed.

According to the fire department, smoke alarms are designed to last up to 10 years, but battery life spans are far shorter, and whenever daylight saving or standard time arrives, officials recommend replacing batteries as a precaution.

"Just like schools practice fire drills, families should also practice what to do if their smoke alarms go off," the agency stated. "Remember, every day a smoke alarm saves somebody's life."

Households with separate carbon monoxide detectors should also install new batteries in those devices to be safe, officials said.

The Automobile Club of Southern California also warned drivers to be on the lookout for school children and other pedestrians, since it will be dark for an hour longer in the mornings.

Daylight saving lasts until Nov. 3.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)