What Are Some of the Benefits of Daylight Savings Time?

The purpose of Daylight Savings Time (known as "Summer Time" in Europe and other parts of the world) is so that we can make better use of daylight. During the summer months clocks go forward one hour, so that we move the daylight from the morning to the evening. Countries change their clocks at different times.

For people who live near the equator, day and night are about the same length, of 12 hours. In other parts of the Earth, there is more daylight during the summer months than in winter. The closer you are to the North or South Pole, the longer your amount of daylight will be in summertime. Therefore, Daylight Savings Time does not make much difference in the tropics and countries that are closer to the equator do not usually change their clocks.

The US Department of Transportation carried out a poll that indicated Americans liked Daylight Savings Time because "there is more light in the evenings/ can do more in the evenings". A survey carried out in 1976 among the 2.7 million inhabitants from the Australian state of New South Wales found that 68% of them liked Daylight Savings Time.

Evidence suggests that Daylight Savings Time conserves energy. Studies conducted by the US Department of Transportation showed that Daylight Savings Time reduced the country's electricity usage to about 1% each day, because electricity tends to be used for lighting and appliances. Results in New Zealand also found that power usage decreased by 3.5% as soon as Daylight Savings Time started.

In the average home, about 25% of electricity is used for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs, and stereos. The largest percentage of energy consumption occurs when lighting homes and using appliances in the evening when families are usually all together. Moving the clocks forward by one hour actually helps decrease the amount of electricity used each day.

During the winter months, the advantage of Daylight Savings Time in the afternoon is offset by the morning's requirement for more lighting. During spring and autumn, the advantage is about less than one hour. So this means Daylight Savings Time helps save energy for lighting during all seasons in the year, but it saves least during November, December, January and February, when the sun rises later.

Another reason why less electricity is used is because people are home for fewer hours during the longer days of spring and summer, as many people take advantage of the extra daylight hours by planning outdoor activities. It is reasonable to assume that when people are not at home, they do not turn on the appliances or have to have all the lights on.

In addition to the reduced electricity costs, there is also a public health benefit linked to Daylight Savings Time, as it can help to decrease traffic accidents. Several studies that were carried out in America and in the UK found that Daylight Savings Time helped reduce traffic accidents and death to almost 1%. The increase in traffic accidents during the dark mornings is more than offset by the decrease in accidents in the evening.

Love it or hate it, we will be losing an hour effective 2:00am on Sunday. Rather than think of the inconvenience of losing an hour and making sure all the clocks are set forward, try to focus on the positive aspects of Daylight Savings Time. Energy bills are likely to be lower and the longer evenings can be a good opportunity to indulge in a hobby or trip.

Source :

http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/c.html