Should We Switch to Daylight Saving Time – Permanently? Experts Say It Could Save Lives  

This is the weekend when many Americans will switch the clocks forward, one hour, to “Spring Ahead.”  But, members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, and a variety of experts, have said, for the record:  It’s time for the country to stop switching times.

In 2022, law professor Steve Callandrillo testified before the House Consumer Protection and Commerce subcommittee.  He said that while saving energy “was the original justification for daylight saving time, it’s no longer as strong as it used to be; but it still does save energy.”

The amount of energy actually saved is relatively small; as a 2008 study found “the total electricity savings of extended daylight saving time was about 1.3 terawatt-hour.  That corresponds to…0.03% of electricity consumption over the year.”

Another argument for ending the time switching is the harm it has on physical and mental health.  The fatigue it causes is often to blame for highway crashes and other traffic troubles…  Lives are actually lost, because of it.  Work productivity drops in the weeks following a clock-change.

Lawmakers touted choosing daylight saving time as the permanent time, by pointing out the economic benefits of having the extra hour of sunlight, in the afternoon or early evening.

Lawmakers from both parties have introduced bills in the House related to time changes.  Two bills would make daylight saving time permanent, and two others would give states the option to observe it year-round.

It’s still all up for debate.

Time for more?  Click here:  (UPI)