LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — With daylight saving time having started yet again, feelings towards this tradition are appearing now more than ever. But does this event help as much as it should, or could we do without it?
Originally, daylight savings started soon after adopting time zones with the Standard Time Act of 1918 as a way for railroad companies to coordinate their schedules. While DST had been used beyond its original purpose of standardizing train transport on occasion, it was only started nationally after the creation of the Department of Transportation and the Uniform Time Act in 1966. Since then, the government has kept its use of standard time in place, overseeing proper usage and requested changes to the system.
Officially, DST occurs on two dates that change every year: the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. In March, clocks are moved forward by an hour, while in November, time moves back to correspond with the daylight hours of the seasons.
Most notably, the law says that a state is allowed to stop observing DST so that citizens may “avoid undue hardship or to conserve fuel in the State or a part thereof.” For example, most of Arizona does not observe daylight savings due to its summer climate and temperatures, while the neighboring Navajo nation still does.
While Congress found that DST creates benefits in the form of power-saving and public interest, such as reduced crime or economic opportunity, not everyone agrees that keeping it would be completely positive for them.
“I stay later at work because I don’t know how late it is,” Los Alamitos High School science teacher Mr. Lee said. “I guess it makes me more productive because I don’t know what time it is.”
Recent government proposals have shown that DST might be going away soon, at least for those living in California. In 2018, Proposition Seven was put on the ballot, which would have allowed the legislature to change DST and possibly opt out of the system entirely. Even though no changes have been made in regard to standard time despite Prop. Seven passing, these new successes and public attention towards DST shows promise for those looking for a smoother schedule throughout the year.
California assembly members Kansen Chew, Lorena Gonzalez and cardiologist Dr. Sion Roy wrote about DTS in the 2018 voter information guide.
“Since 2000, 14 countries have stopped changing their clocks,” the guide says. “They allow nature to determine time, not their governments. Lowering health risk. Reducing energy consumption. Saving money.”
