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Daylight Saving Time: Don't Forget to Change Those Clocks
October 29, 2009 08:00 AM
Most Americans will set their clocks back one hour before they go to bed tonight. Why do we "fall" back one hour in the autumn, and "spring" ahead one hour in the spring?
Enjoy an Extra Hour of Sleep on Sunday
Daylight saving time (DST) ends on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m., local time. That means most U.S. residents will set their clocks back one hour. But people in most of Arizona, Hawaii and in the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will leave their clocks alone. These locations never sway from standard time within their time zones.
What’s the reasoning behind daylight saving time? As Bill Mosley, a public affairs officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation, explains to National Geographic News, it’s suppose “to adjust daylight hours to when most people are awake and about.” In other words, daylight saving time decreases the duration of daylight we experience in the early morning hours and increases the amount of daylight available in the evening, when most of us are awake.
What’s the reasoning behind daylight saving time? As Bill Mosley, a public affairs officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation, explains to National Geographic News, it’s suppose “to adjust daylight hours to when most people are awake and about.” In other words, daylight saving time decreases the duration of daylight we experience in the early morning hours and increases the amount of daylight available in the evening, when most of us are awake.
Historical Context: The birth of daylight saving time
Who do we have to thank for the creation of daylight saving time? Oddly enough, the railroads.
According to Mosley, in the beginning of the 19th century, locations established their own time. “It was kind of a crazy quilt of time, time zones, and time usage,” Mosley says. “When the railroads came in, that necessitated more standardization of time so that railroad schedules could be published."
As a result, in 1883, the railroad industry created official time zones with standard times for each zone. In 1918, Congress signed the railroad time zone system into law; part of the law included the observance of daylight saving time across the country. But the following year, that section of the law was repealed and daylight saving time “became a matter left up to local jurisdictions,” National Geographic reports.
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the start and end of daylight saving time but allowed each state to stick with standard time if their legislatures approved. Thanks to the 1966 Act, clocks were set ahead one hour on the first Sunday in April and set back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
According to Mosley, in the beginning of the 19th century, locations established their own time. “It was kind of a crazy quilt of time, time zones, and time usage,” Mosley says. “When the railroads came in, that necessitated more standardization of time so that railroad schedules could be published."
As a result, in 1883, the railroad industry created official time zones with standard times for each zone. In 1918, Congress signed the railroad time zone system into law; part of the law included the observance of daylight saving time across the country. But the following year, that section of the law was repealed and daylight saving time “became a matter left up to local jurisdictions,” National Geographic reports.
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the start and end of daylight saving time but allowed each state to stick with standard time if their legislatures approved. Thanks to the 1966 Act, clocks were set ahead one hour on the first Sunday in April and set back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
Background: Daylight saving time changed in 2007
In 2005, Congress enacted new daylight saving time rules that expanded the daylight saving period so that it started three weeks earlier, on the first Sunday in March, and ended one week later, on the first Sunday of November. But the 2005 rules didn’t take effect until 2007, in order to allow for computer glitches to be worked out.
Even two years later, people still seem to think that daylight saving time is in October, WESH.com reports. Next year, we'll "fall back" even later, on Nov. 7, 2010.
Even two years later, people still seem to think that daylight saving time is in October, WESH.com reports. Next year, we'll "fall back" even later, on Nov. 7, 2010.
Opinion & Analysis: Daylight saving vs. daylight savings; Does daylight saving time save anything?
As Angela Webber points out for The Oregonian, “daylight saving time” is the correct term but most people say “daylight savings time” instead. “In fact, on google trends this week, ‘daylight savings time’ is trending while ‘daylight saving time’ is barely getting any searches,” Webber writes. “Where did that ‘s’ come from?”
Daylight saving time is based on the assumption that it saves energy. The 2007 changes sparked a national debate on the topic. Webber cites two studies—one performed by the California Energy Commission and one by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)—that found that daylight saving time does not save energy. In fact, according to an abstract from NBER, “Our main finding is that—contrary to the policy’s intent—DST increases residential electricity demand.” Both studies found that the energy people save from not using as much power at night is offset by the increased energy used during the darker mornings of autumn.
Still, there are some benefits associated with daylight saving time. According to National Geographic News, research shows that more daylight decreases the rate of crime, traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. In 1986, Congress found other advantages, such as “more daylight outdoor playtime” for children, as well as “greater utilization of parks and recreation areas, expanded economic opportunity through extension of daylight hours to peak shopping hours and through extension of domestic office hours to periods of greater overlap with the European Economic Community."
But not everyone agrees that more daylight in the evening is a bonus. As Mosley points out, farmers and other early birds that get up before the sun “may have to operate in the dark a while longer before daybreak.”
Daylight saving time is based on the assumption that it saves energy. The 2007 changes sparked a national debate on the topic. Webber cites two studies—one performed by the California Energy Commission and one by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)—that found that daylight saving time does not save energy. In fact, according to an abstract from NBER, “Our main finding is that—contrary to the policy’s intent—DST increases residential electricity demand.” Both studies found that the energy people save from not using as much power at night is offset by the increased energy used during the darker mornings of autumn.
Still, there are some benefits associated with daylight saving time. According to National Geographic News, research shows that more daylight decreases the rate of crime, traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. In 1986, Congress found other advantages, such as “more daylight outdoor playtime” for children, as well as “greater utilization of parks and recreation areas, expanded economic opportunity through extension of daylight hours to peak shopping hours and through extension of domestic office hours to periods of greater overlap with the European Economic Community."
But not everyone agrees that more daylight in the evening is a bonus. As Mosley points out, farmers and other early birds that get up before the sun “may have to operate in the dark a while longer before daybreak.”
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