Daylight Savings Time is Out of Date

Daylight Saving is the idea that changing the clocks can help achieve more hours of daylight during waking hours. Each year, we essentially live by two different clocks: Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time. These are flipped by an artificial adjustment of the clock – what most people know as “springing forward” in the spring and “falling back” in the autumn. These shifts loosely align with the equinoxes and are meant to change the timing of daylight relative to our daily routines.

Many people believe that Daylight Saving Time (DST) was created to get an extra hour of morning sunlight for farmers, but this is a myth. The idea first emerged at the end of the 19th century, and was first enacted on a national level by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 during World War I. It was theorized that by shifting the clocks, countries could save on coal and fuel by decreasing the need for lighting and electricity use early in the morning before the sunrise. 

The United States first adopted DST nationally in 1918, but the policy lasted just one year before it was repealed by Congress in 1919. In the following decades, the use of DST was inconsistent across the country, with various localities and states independently deciding whether to adopt it. DST was revived once again nationwide in 1942 as “war time” during World War II, but was once again abandoned after the war ended.

DST was more formally organized after the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which mandated the practice but allowed states to opt out by passing a state law. Today, DST is practiced by every state except Arizona and Hawaii. Notably, the Navajo Nation located in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, does practice Daylight Savings Time. Internationally, DST is used almost exclusively by Europe and North America, with virtually all of Asia, Africa, and South America declining to use DST.

Despite its original purpose, modern evidence suggests DST provides little benefit in terms of energy savings. A 2008 Department of Energy report found that DST saved just 0.03% of annual electricity consumption, a negligible amount. Whatever small savings in evening energy use are achieved tend to be offset by higher energy demand in darker mornings. 

Despite the rumor that DST helps farmers, they have largely been opposed to the practice since the beginning. In fact, farmers were among the earliest and most vocal opponents of DST, helping to secure its repeal in 1919 over President Wilson’s veto. Even today, farmers largely oppose DST, arguing that farm work is tied to the sun, not the clock. More broadly, public opinion has shifted strongly against DST. A poll from October of 2024 found that 63 percent of Americans would prefer eliminating DST, while just 17 percent of people would keep it. 

Beyond negligible energy savings, the effects of DST have significant implications for infrastructure and public safety. Several studies have suggested that daylight savings is not good for health, as it disrupts signals to our brains controlling our sleeping habits. Multiple studies have shown that the twice-yearly clock changes disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, mental health disorders, and accidents. 

Transportation safety is impacted significantly by daylight savings. Research shows that fatal car crashes increase by about 6 percent following the “spring forward” shift, resulting in roughly 28 additional deaths. In the week after daylight savings, workplace accidents have been shown to rise and overall productivity declines. Some studies suggest that abandoning the clock change could reduce specific dangers, such as deer-vehicle collisions, by decreasing the number of drivers operating during dark hours in the evening. A 2022 report estimated that making daylight savings time permanent could prevent 33 human deaths, 2,000 injuries, and save $1.19 billion in collision costs annually.

Recognizing these concerns, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which would make DST permanent and eliminate the biannual clock changes. Ultimately this bill failed to pass the U.S. House of Representatives, and did not become law. An identical law is currently under consideration again in 2025. Notably, these proposals advocate for permanent DST, not a return to permanent Standard Time, which is what many scientific and medical organizations recommend, including the Sleep Research Society, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the National Sleep Foundation. Standard Time is preferred by these organizations because it was originally created to match our biological clocks. Under Standard Time, the sun is highest in the sky roughly around noon but under DST, it peaks around 1 p.m.

States are taking action independently as well, with around 75 bills and resolutions in state legislatures under consideration as of April 2025. These bills are a mix of adopting permanent Standard Time or permanent DST. Internationally, the trend is also moving away from DST. Many Asian countries abolished DST before the end of the 20th century. Mexico abolished DST in most of its territory in 2022. In 2019, the European Union parliament voted to cease using daylight savings time, but there has been no final decision from the required council position. The rule is currently in a state of limbo, and there is no definite timeline for enacting the change. If the EU abolishes DST, then the United States will be among just a handful of countries to still keep the practice. 

Daylight Saving Time was originally created as a wartime energy conservation measure, but over a century later, its benefits have become increasingly difficult to justify. Studies consistently show that DST offers minimal energy savings while introducing significant risks to health, transportation safety, and economic productivity. Public sentiment has shifted strongly against changing the clocks, with a growing majority of Americans favoring an end to DST entirely. As state legislatures and international bodies reconsider the value of DST, state and federal policymakers should consider the limited value and negative effects of keeping daylight savings.

Rather than making Daylight Saving Time permanent – which would lock in its health and safety drawbacks – we should prioritize permanent Standard Time. Unlike DST, Standard Time is aligned with our natural biological rhythms, supporting better sleep, health outcomes, and public safety. It reduces strain on families, improves focus and productivity, and lessens risks in transportation and infrastructure. Leading medical and scientific organizations agree: permanent Standard Time is the best option for our collective well-being.

As more states and nations reconsider the practice, now is the time for policymakers to act. Ending the biannual clock changes and adopting permanent Standard Time would be a simple, science-backed improvement with lasting benefits for society.

Written by Owen Rogers, Public Policy Associate