By admin (CNN) — It’s almost time for the clocks to “turn back” an hour and get an hour of sleep.
On the first Sunday in November, at 2 a.m., clocks go back one hour to standard time. On the second Sunday in March at 2 a.m., clocks in most of the United States and many other countries move forward one hour and remain there for almost eight months in what is known as daylight saving time.
The current March-to-November system used in the U.S. began in 2007, but the concept of “daylight saving” is much older. Daylight saving time has its origins in train schedules, but was put into practice in Europe and the United States during World War I to save fuel and energy, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Pro tip: It’s daylight savings time, with a single use of the word “savings” and not “savings.”
Reasons for changing to summer time
For most of World War II, the United States maintained daylight saving time permanently. The idea was created to save fuel and maintain the standard. When the war ended in 1945, Gallup asked respondents how we should tell the time. Only 17% wanted to maintain the so-called “war time” all year round.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, we tried to switch to daylight saving time again in the winter of 1973–1974. The idea of saving fuel came up again. It was a popular move at the time President Richard Nixon signed the bill into law in January 1974. But later that month, Florida’s governor called for repeal of the law after eight students were hit by cars in the dark. Schools across the country delayed the start of classes until sunrise.
Public support plummeted over the summer, and in early October, Congress voted to return to standard time.
In the US, the law does not require states to “roll back” or “leap forward.” Hawaii, most of Arizona, and some Pacific and Caribbean territories do not observe daylight saving time. Changing daylight saving time twice a year is so irritating to lawmakers of all political stripes that in March 2022, the US Senate passed a bill making daylight saving time permanent. The act was adopted unanimously.
House lawmakers did not vote on the bill in 2022. On March 2, 2023, a dozen senators who make up a bipartisan group reintroduced legislation that would end daylight saving time in favor of permanent daylight saving time. Legislation to accompany the Sun Protection Act was introduced in the House by Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Florida.
Why we need daylight saving time
Research over the past 25 years has shown that the hourly change disrupts body rhythms aligned with the Earth’s rotation, fueling debate over whether implementing daylight saving time in any form is a good idea.
The problem is that for every argument there is a counterargument. For example, there are studies that show that we have more car accidents when people lose an extra hour of sleep. There are also studies that show that robbery rates drop when there is an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. We also know that people are more likely to experience heart attacks at the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. But what about our mental health? People seem happier when there is an extra hour of daylight.
Of course, there is an economy that pays for all this outdoor fun in the sun. Although energy conservation has often been cited as a reason for Daylight Saving Time, the amount of energy saved is not much – if any.
Instead, lobbying efforts to change the time came mainly from various sectors of the economy. In the mid-20th century, groups lobbying for the recreational sports industry (e.g. shooting ranges) wanted more customers to leave after a day at the office. This is easier to do when there is more light at the end of the day.
But the film industry didn’t like the time change. You’re less likely to go to the cinema when it’s bright outside. Contrary to myth, farmers didn’t like it either because it made it difficult to deliver food to the market in the morning.
Bottom line: It’s not clear whether an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day compared to the beginning is helpful. It just depends on who you are and what you want. And it doesn’t look like daylight saving time in the U.S. will be going away anytime soon.