Daylight Savings Time

Ever since I moved to the US, I was unable to understand the rationale behind moving clocks back and forth twice a year to go in and out of Daylight Savings Time (more affectionately known as DST :-)). I've discussed this with a lot of friends and acquaintances, but none of them could give me a convincing answer. The answers I got were mostly around energy conservation and school timings, but none could explain to me how moving the clock affected these parameters. So my independent research has led to some findings to make understanding of DST easier ;-).

Basics:

• DST is applicable only during summer time. During late fall and winter the time we follow is the actual time for that place.
• If people believe that DST is going to save energy, this saving is only during summer. By coming out of DST there is no saving of energy during winter. So don't look to apply logic to the reasons cited for the usefulness of DST in winter, it won't work.

What is DST?:

• DST is nothing but moving your clock one hour ahead of time to get longer daylight hours during spring/summer.

Rationale behind DST:

• Energy conservation: The pattern for energy consumption in homes, in the form of electricity depends on the times people go to bed and also the time till when sunlight is available. Apparently, people go to bed at nearly the same time year round. So by moving end of daylight near bedtime, theoretically there is a conservation of energy.
• More outdoor hours: People get to spend more time outdoors as it gets dark pretty late
• Prevention of accidents and crime: More daylight would mean less crimes and accidents.
  

Apparently, the Dept. Of Transportation has found most of these to be true and that is the reason why most states in the US follow this.

Criticism for DST:

• DST disrupts sleep patterns. (I agree completely and despise DST whole-heartedly for this :-)). Apparently there are spikes in auto accidents during periods where we switch back and forth from DST
  
• In the modern world, people use air-conditioning especially in hot places, which in fact leads to usage of more energy because of extended day-light. Arizona is a state that doesn't follow DST for this reason.
• The parsimonious folks argue that DST provides more outdoor time which would mean more spending :-).

Personally, I am not a fan of DST and in the modern day, where energy in the form of lighting is used to light up offices regardless of the time of the day, the energy conserved because of DST may not be significant. I would be happy if they do some research to get more daylight during winter especially in the Northwest :-).

P.S.: People argue that Benjamin Franklin was the one who introduced DST. But, he was just suggesting people to go to bed early and be early to rise :-)

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