Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Advantages

Many people around the world treasure the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon because they work later hours, exercise in the evenings or need to complete outdoor household chores such as mowing the grass, gardening or fixing windows, roofs or other parts.

Others have reported that daylight saving time could be linked to reduced road injuries. A joint Transport Research Laboratory and University College of London study predicted that less people would be killed and injured in road accidents if one hour of daylight was transferred from the morning to the afternoon. The study supports the adoption of Single Double Summer Time (SDST) in the United Kingdom, where politicians, together with the general public, voice their opinions on the introduction of an extended daylight saving schedule. 

Some people believe that the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon or evening gives children more time to interact with a parent who works or studies during the day. It gives families time to socialize or enjoy an outdoor meal together. Others say that the increased daylight leisure time gives them a chance to participate in recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, surfing, or tennis, after a long day of work or study. One local newspaper reported that due to daylight saving time, golfers in Las Cruces, New Mexico (in the United States), came out later in the day and stayed longer into the evening.

And of course, there are arguments on the idea that daylight saving time reduces electricity usage and promotes energy efficiency.

 Energy Efficiency

In countries such as Canada, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and other parts of the world, daylight saving time is used as a means of conserving energy as the demand for electricity and gas increases. Some say that the extra hour in the afternoon can counter for blackouts and other electrical failures that can occur later in the day. Others say that it influences people to spend more time out of the house, thus decreasing the need for artificial lighting as well as the likelihood of using home electric appliances.

Daylight saving time has already brought a recent one-percent reduction of electricity consumption in Brazil, according to a local newspaper. According to a 2004 Japan Productivity Centre for Socio-Economic Development report, titled Summer Time as a Means to Lifestyle Structural Reform, daylight saving time could reduce about 400,000 tons of CO2 and save energy – up to 930,000 million liters (or about 246 million gallons) of fossil fuel – in the short-term. In the long-term, lighter evenings can reduce bag theft by up to 10 percent. The forum responsible for the study believed that daylight saving time, also referred to as “Summer Time”, could help create an environmentally friendly society that considered energy conservation more often.

 Disadvantages

The extended daylight saving time in some parts of Australia and New Zealand has affected mobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices, including major integrated telecommunication company Telstra’s speaking clock. Many clocks needed to be adjusted manually or via software updates from device makers.

Mixed flight schedules and inaccurate transportation timetables have caused confusion among travelers, for both personal and business purposes, and regular commuters. The transport industry needed to take into account the costs for adjusting to new time schedules.

Other complaints about daylight saving include the safety fears in the dark mornings, especially for school children waiting for a bus in some areas. The result of such concerns was that there was no daylight saving time in 2008 for countries such as Guatemala. The government's main concern was the safety of those who went early to work or study, stating that if daylight saving was implemented, they would be leaving their homes in the dark, the time when crime was at its highest, putting them in potentially dangerous situations.

In countries such as Iraq, there are those who believe that life is less complicated without daylight saving time, thus minimizing confusion and interruption associated with time, including changes to schedules and food preparations.

Farming groups have also expressed anti-daylight saving views, saying that daylight saving time had a significant adverse impact on rural families, businesses, and communities. There are also those who express health concerns linked with daylight saving time.