Surviving Daylight Savings Time

Well, it's that time of year again, when the majority of us in the United States try to squeeze just another hour of useful daylight out of the day by moving our clocks back by an hour. In the northern climes, where I live, this is a critical tradition, as just before we move the clocks, many of us arrive at work in the dark, and get home in the dark. That's depressing, and Daylight Saving Time is a solution that buys us at least another month of afternoons.

Starting in 2007, as an energy saving measure, Daylight Savings Time will end on the first Sunday in November, rather than on the last Sunday in April, as was the case in recent years. Benefits are thought to include increased retail sales nationwide (shoppers are more likely to leave home when it's light out), increased public safety (automobile accidents are more prevalent after dark, and Daylight Saving Time means more commuters do so during daylight). Daylight Saving Time in the US begins on the Second Sunday of March. The phrases "spring ahead, fall backward," or "spring forward, fall back," are common mnemonic devices to help people to remember which direction to move their clocks.

In the United States, each time zone switches as a different time, at 2am local time. This is of little consequence to most, as the majority of citizens are asleep during the actual time change. The most common practice is to change the clocks in your home before going to bed on Saturday night.

There are a number of US states and territories which do not observe Daylight Saving Time, including Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Until recently, several counties and municipalities in Indiana opted not to observe the time change as well, but the resultant confusion caused the state to come on board in 2005.