Daylight saving turns 100 years old
Clocks spring forward one hour in most of the U.S. on Sunday.
America has been springing forward since World War I, but why bother?
It survived the Great Depression, World War II and endless gnashing of teeth about its good and bad points, and this month it celebrates its 100th birthday here in the U.S.
Daylight saving time, which starts its annual eight-month run at
2 a.m. Sunday, was first enacted by the federal government March 19,
1918, during World War I as a way to conserve coal.
And though it was halted nationally later that year, it persisted in some form at local or state levels for decades before finally being recognized again nationally in 1966 by the Uniform Time Act.
To many a minor annoyance or a bit of relief, daylight saving time reminds us of the sun’s daily influence on our lives and tells us spring is on its way.
Surprisingly, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is in charge of daylight saving time and all time zones in the U.S.
“The oversight of time zones was assigned to DOT because time standards are important for many modes of transportation,” according to the department’s website.
The DOT says daylight saving is observed because it saves energy, saves lives by preventing traffic accidents and reduces crime.
The agency boasts people tend to spend more time outside during daylight saving time, meaning they run household appliances and lights less during those eight months.
Also, the DOT said, it prevents traffic incidents because people are driving around more during the light hours. It also is a crime deterrent, DOT says.
In 2007, the federal government expanded daylight saving time to reduce energy consumption. Daylight saving time accounts for about 65% of the year.
Not everyone agrees it offers energy-saving benefits, however. Some studies report the time switch saves energy on lighting but is surpassed by increases in heating and air-conditioning.
Whether to observe daylight saving time is purely a state matter, so how a state determines that — through law, resolution, or executive order — is up to the state.
Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t take part in daylight saving time. Arizona, which gets ample sunlight, opted out in 1968. But certain Native American reservations in Arizona still participate.
Other non-observers are American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
While those states and territories have given daylight saving the heave-ho, a movement aimed at throwing a little more sunlight onto cold winter days is gaining traction across the nation.
Twenty-six states considered making daylight saving time permanent last year, according to Time Zone, a group tracking and promoting the effort.
If the late sunlight isn’t your thing, the clocks turn back at 2 a.m. Nov. 4.