politics
Daylight Saving Time is controversial. Here’s why the US kept it
Clocks will “spring forward” one hour on March 8, robbing many people across the United States of one precious hour of sleep.
TL;DR
- Daylight Saving Time causes clocks to move forward one hour in March and fall back one hour in November in most of the US.
- The practice originated to save fuel and power during World War I and was used permanently during World War II and briefly during the 1970s energy crisis.
- Studies show conflicting impacts on sleep, heart attacks, car accidents, robberies, and mental health.
- Economic lobbying, particularly from the recreational sports industry, has been a significant factor in maintaining Daylight Saving Time, despite minimal energy savings.
- States are not mandated to observe Daylight Saving Time; Hawaii and most of Arizona are exceptions.
- Federal lawmakers have repeatedly attempted to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
- It's not definitively clear whether the benefits of extra evening sunlight outweigh the drawbacks of the time change.
- Daylight Saving Time is a singular noun phrase, correctly stated as 'Daylight Saving Time'.