Arizona has right idea on time change

European Union now considering dropping summer, winter time changes

Living in Arizona has a lot of benefits, such as great weather, open outdoor spaces, friendly people, etc. But one of its best attributes is one that is likely its most overlooked: the simple fact that Arizona does not follow the daylight saving time change.

Instead, our clocks stay the same all year round. While we watch our neighboring states struggle to “spring forward” and “fall back” each year, our sleep patterns remain the same.

Now, the European Union is considering abolishing the summer and winter time change.

According to a report by NPR, an online vote found that 84 percent of respondents in Europe wished to abolish the time change – that’s more than three-quarters of the 4.6 million people who responded.

Respondents cited “negative health impacts, increase of road accidents or the lack of energy savings,” NPR reports.

Now, Arizona never adopted daylight saving time. So native Arizonans may not be familiar with just how annoying the process is. It hits other states twice a year, where one has to adjust the clocks either an hour ahead or an hour behind. But that part isn’t the worst of it.

The difficult part is how hard it is when one’s sleep has been disrupted. An hour change might not seem like much, but it truly takes a toll on a body.

In Arizona, the challenge comes with keeping track of where the rest of the nation. Are we three hours off from the East Coast or two? Are we on the same time zone as California or an hour off?

In the EU, the next step is looking at new clock legislation, which must be sent to both the European Parliament and the European Council, two groups made up of heads of state, NPR reports. “If the proposal is adopted, each member nation will be able to decide whether to go for permanent summer or wintertime,” NPR notes.

If the EU decides to abolish daylight saving time, it will be interesting to see what happens in America.

Do you think daylight saving time should continue, or is it time to let it go? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.