It’s almost time for clocks to “fall back” an hour.
On the first Sunday of November, at 2 a.m., clocks will be set back one hour to standard time after 8 months in the so-called “Daylight Saving Time.”
The current light-saving system that the U.S. follows from March to November began in 2007, but the concept is much older. Daylight saving has its roots in train schedules but was implemented in Europe and the United States to save fuel and energy during World War I, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The U.S. maintained permanent Daylight Saving Time for most of World War II. The idea was put into practice to conserve fuel. When the war ended in 1945, a survey was conducted to gauge public opinion on Daylight Saving Time. Only 17% wanted to keep what was then called “war time” year-round.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, the country tried permanent Daylight Saving Time again in the winter of 1973-1974. The idea was once again to conserve fuel. It was a popular measure at the time when President Richard Nixon signed the law in January 1974. But by the end of the month, the governor of Florida called for the repeal of the law after eight schoolchildren were struck by cars in the dark. By the time summer arrived, public approval had plummeted, and by early October, Congress voted to return to standard time.
Current Situation
States are not legally required to adopt Daylight Saving Time. Hawaii, most of Arizona, and some territories in the Pacific and Caribbean do not make the time change.
The U.S. Senate passed legislation in March 2022 to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. The bill was approved by unanimous consent.
However, House legislators did not vote on the 2022 bill. On March 2, 2023, a dozen senators forming a bipartisan group reintroduced legislation aimed at ending the time change in favor of permanent Daylight Saving Time.
Do We Need Daylight Saving Time?
Studies over the past 25 years have shown that the one-hour shift disrupts bodily rhythms attuned to the Earth’s rotation, adding fuel to the debate about whether having Daylight Saving Time in any form is a good idea.
There are studies, for example, that show we have more car accidents when people lose an extra hour of sleep. There are also studies that show thefts decrease when there is an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. We also know that people suffer more heart attacks at the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. But what about our mental health? People seem to be happier when there is an extra hour of daylight.
Of course, there is the economy. While saving energy has often been presented as a reason for having Daylight Saving Time, the energy saved is not much — if there is any at all.
The push for Daylight Saving Time comes from different sectors of the economy. The recreational sports industry, for example, wants more customers to have the chance to play sports after a day at the office.
In short, it is unclear whether having that extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day instead of the beginning is beneficial. But the truth is that it doesn’t seem like Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. is going to end anytime soon. So, get ready to change the clock once again next week.
Source: CNN