THE END OF AN ERA?

At 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 6, 2022, clocks in the U.S. will turn back one hour as daylight saving time ends, marking the beginning of winter's dark evenings. This change may be the last time we “fall back;” in March the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent year-round for all states but Hawaii and most of Arizona, which would continue to observe year-round standard time. 

But the bill has stalled in the House. While people argue about whether permanent daylight saving or permanent standard time is better, there does not seem to be a consensus among voters yet. However, there is a consensus about “the switch:” the majority of Americans do not want to keep switching the clocks back and forth. A 2020 study by the National Institutes of Health found that around 150,000 Americans experienced physical health problems caused by the biannual time changes.

WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS

If the Sunshine Protection Act were to go into effect (in November 2023), studies predict that lives would be saved. Car accidents occur more often later in the day, and occur more frequently in dark conditions. Therefore, an extra hour of daylight at night translates into fewer motor vehicle accidents: a 2004 study estimated that switching to year-round daylight saving would result in 171 fewer pedestrian deaths each year and 195 fewer deaths among car drivers or passengers. Another study, published Wednesday, predicted that year-round daylight saving time would prevent 33 deaths and around 2,000 injuries among humans each year by reducing deer-vehicle collisions.

One expert summarized the above this way: darkness kills, sunshine saves — and darkness kills more people in the evening than it does in the morning.

THE ARGUMENT FOR PERMANENT STANDARD TIME

On the other side of the debate are those who want the U.S. to transition to permanent standard time. The strongest argument in favor of standard time is that it is closest to solar time, which sleep experts argue is best for human beings. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports permanent standard time, citing research showing that our bodies function best with more sunlight in the morning. A June study found that people whose clock times weren’t closely aligned with the sun had 22% higher road fatality rates than those living within 30 minutes of solar time. Circadian biologists believe ill health effects from daylight saving time result from a mismatch among the sun's “clock” and our clock. This mismatch impacts our social clock -- like work and school schedules -- and the body's internal 24-hour body clock.

FACT vs. FICTION

With the Sunshine Protection Act stalled in Congress, most of us will “fall back” this weekend. Below is a brief fact-check on the 100 year old tradition:

    *  It's daylight saving time, not daylight "savings" time. You are saving daylight, not savings 

      daylight.

• Contrary to popular belief, daylight saving time was not invented for the benefit of farmers. Credit for Daylight Saving Time belongs to Benjamin Franklin, who first suggested the idea in 1784.

    *  The Germans were the first to officially adopt the light-extending system in 1915 as a fuel-saving measure during WWI.

• From 1986 to 2006, DST in the U.S. started in April and ended in October but was extended to March through November beginning in 2007.
• About 70 countries around the world observe DLS.

    * Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of Arizona don't observe the time change.

CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY

If you are involved in an accident, contact your personal injury attorney Dave Thomas at The Thomas Law Firm for a free consultation regarding your legal rights.