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Fall back, add sleep weekend
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Yes folks, it's that time of year again, when we check the batteries in our smoke alarms and turn the clocks back an hour, for a little extra snooze time. For those who do not know, the starting of Daylight Saving Time has been used in the United States since World War I, as I mention in a prior article, but without going into the history of Daylight Saving Time, I thought it would be fun to look at how it has had a remarkable impact on a wide variety of areas. Here are some of those areas that have been affected...
Halloween:
Through 2006, Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. ended a few days before Halloween (October 31), when children's pedestrian deaths are four times higher than on any other night of the year. A new law to extend DST to the first Sunday in November took effect in 2007, with the purpose of providing trick-or-treaters more light and therefore more safety from traffic accidents.
Elections:
Through 2006, the Daylight Saving Time period was about a week before Election Day, which is held the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The extension of Daylight Saving Time into November has been proposed as a way to encourage greater voter participation, the theory being that more people would go to the polls if it was still light when they returned home from work. The U.S. law taking effect in 2007 pushes the end of Daylight Saving Time to the first Sunday in November. In some years (2010, 2021, 2027, and 2032), this will fall after Election Day, giving researchers the opportunity to gage its effect on voter turnout.
Crime:
A study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration showed violent crime, such as muggings, down 10 to 13 percent, so light in the evening is most welcome.
Births:
While twins born at 11:55 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. may have different birthdays, Daylight Saving Time can change birth order -- on paper, anyway. During the time change in the fall, one baby could be born at 1:55 a.m. and the sibling born ten minutes later, at 1:05 a.m. In the spring, there is a gap when no babies are born at all: from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. In November 2007, Laura Cirioli of North Carolina gave birth to Peter at 1:32 a.m. and, 34 minutes later, to Allison. However, because Daylight Saving Time reverted to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m., Allison was born at 1:06 a.m.
Info Credit: Joanne Petrie, Sally Smith, and David Prerau, Ph.D
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