Day light savings time ended on Nov 6, 2022. The clocks are set back an hour and we all will subject ourselves to what feels like an eternally dark winter. On the bright side, which only exists figuratively, gaining an hour of sleep is a pretty wonderful thing.
But, regardless of whether you love it or hate it, this may be the last year of setting back the clocks.
The measure to make daylight savings permanent is called the “Sunshine Protection Act”, which the Senate unanimously voted on to end the semi-annual changing of the clocks in March of last year. The proposed bill would result in days staying brighter for longer and an increase in economic activity. However, now that the bill has passed the senate it has to be voted on by the House of Representatives before President Biden signs it.
Despite the bill’s popularity, it has been stalled in Congress for more than seven months. This is a little weird because a Monmouth Poll found that 44 percent of Americans are in favor of making DTS permanent.
Another reason why the “Sunshine Protection Act” is on the back burner is that as Rep. Frank Pallone, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee told the Hill Newspaper in July: “I can’t say it’s a priority,”.
Congress is dubious about whether the permanent change is the right decision and just cannot make up it’s mind on this daylight savings debate! Can you?
Here’s why people are in favor of making the time change permanent:
- Who doesn’t love a little extra daylight? On dark and cold winter nights, stepping out on the town or just simply leaving home feels like work. Longer evenings motivate people to get out of hibernation.
- Brighter skies promote more active lifestyles and stimulate the economy. There’s more time to go shopping, to restaurants, or other events, boosting the local economy.
- Longer hours of sunlight promote safety. According to NPR.org, making the switch would prevent 2,054 human injuries, 33 human deaths, and $1.19 billion in damages each year. On the other hand, a permanent move to standard time would increase the instances of crashes by 3.5%
Until the bill makes its way through the house, the bi-annual switch is here to stay. Tweet us your thoughts on making DTS permanent @VALLEYmag.
