Why the U.S. continues to observe Daylight Saving Time

It’s nearly time to set the clocks back by one hour and enjoy an extra hour of sleep.

On the first Sunday of November at 2 a.m., clocks revert to standard time. Then, on the second Sunday of March at 2 a.m., most of the United States and many other countries shift their clocks forward by one hour for the start of Daylight Saving Time, which lasts nearly eight months.

The U.S. adopted the current March-to-November schedule in 2007, though the idea of ‘saving daylight’ dates back much further. The practice, which has its origins in train schedules, was first implemented in Europe and the U.S. during World War I to conserve energy and fuel, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Quick tip: It’s Daylight Saving Time, with ‘saving’ in the singular, not ‘savings.’

Reasons behind Daylight Saving Time

The U.S. made Daylight Saving Time permanent during most of World War II to conserve fuel and maintain consistency. After the war ended in 1945, Gallup conducted a poll asking people how they thought time should be managed. Only 17% supported keeping what was then called 'war time' year-round.

During the 1970s energy crisis, the U.S. experimented with permanent Daylight Saving Time once again in the winter of 1973-1974. The goal was to save fuel. The move was initially popular when President Richard Nixon signed the law in January 1974, but by the end of the month, after eight schoolchildren were struck by cars in the dark, Florida’s governor pushed for its repeal. Schools across the country delayed start times until daylight.

By summer, public support had drastically fallen, and by early October, Congress voted to return to standard time.

In the U.S., states aren't legally required to observe Daylight Saving Time. Hawaii, most of Arizona, and some Pacific and Caribbean territories don’t follow it. The inconvenience of changing the clocks has been so frustrating to lawmakers that the U.S. Senate passed a bill in March 2022 to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. The bill passed with unanimous consent.

In 2022, House lawmakers did not vote on the bill. However, on March 2, 2023, a bipartisan group of twelve senators reintroduced the legislation aimed at ending the biannual clock change and making Daylight Saving Time permanent. Companion legislation, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, was also introduced by Florida Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan in the House.

Why is Daylight Saving Time necessary?

Over the last 25 years, research has shown that the shift in time disrupts our natural body rhythms, which are synchronized with the Earth's rotation, fueling the debate over the overall value of Daylight Saving Time.

The debate is filled with conflicting viewpoints. On one hand, studies show an increase in car accidents when people lose an hour of sleep. On the other hand, there are reports of a decline in robberies when there’s an extra hour of daylight. Additionally, we know heart attack rates rise at the start of Daylight Saving Time, but mental health may benefit—people generally seem happier when there’s more daylight at the end of the day.

Then there’s the economy, which benefits from all the outdoor activities in the extended daylight. Although energy conservation was often cited as a reason for Daylight Saving Time, the actual savings in energy are minimal, if not nonexistent.

The push for Daylight Saving Time was largely driven by various sectors of the economy. In the mid-20th century, groups advocating for recreational sports, such as driving ranges, wanted extended daylight to attract more customers after work hours. More light at the end of the day made it easier for people to enjoy these activities.

However, the movie industry wasn’t fond of Daylight Saving Time. After all, it’s harder to entice people to go to the cinema when it's still bright outside. Contrary to popular belief, farmers weren’t in favor either, as the time shift made it harder to get their products to market early in the morning.

In the end, the impact of that extra hour of daylight in the evening versus the morning remains uncertain. It really depends on your lifestyle and priorities. And as of now, it doesn’t seem like Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. will be disappearing anytime soon.