Pros and Cons of Fixing Daylight Saving Time

(Via ZEXPR) Setting your clock backward or forward can be problematic for many. If you end up setting it wrongly you will face inconvenience. On the other hand if you set it right, you end up losing an hour of your sleep. Amid all this hassle and confusion, most of us end up wondering if it is actually necessary to set Daylight Saving Time (DST).

As per a Rasmussen poll only 33 percent Americans feel DST is necessary. They claim it prevents traffic accidents and saves energy. However what about its effects on your health and productivity? Do you think you can ignore that?

Before you try to sort out this debate let us try and understand the advantages and disadvantages of DST.

Advantages

Energy Saving

Setting the clock an hour earlier would mean ending your day much earlier than you used to do. Since the days will be much longer, you won’t be using too much of electric lighting. Also the sun would have already risen by the time you wake up.

Fewer Traffic Accidents

DST would mean more people driving during daylight. This will automatically reduce the number of traffic accidents as the visibility will be better.

Reduced Crime Rate

With less and less people venturing out in the dark, there are fewer chances of crimes taking place during DST. 

Disadvantages

Negative Impacts on Health

While you go to bed an hour later during fall, you will end up waking up an hour earlier during spring, if you are changing your clock. It is going to take a while to get used to this routine. But till then it can make you feel groggy the entire day. This is not the only way DST impacts health. Studies have revealed many other problems such as depression, heart attack, and lower activity levels in people during such periods.

Effects on Safety

Although the number of accidents reduces significantly during DST, there are quite a few cases before and after the switch to DST, both during spring and fall. This is mostly due to the sleep-deprivation that drivers experience during this time. Sleep-deprivation can also cause accidents at workplaces.

Effects on Economy

The sleep-deprivation people face during DST can lead to low productivity. This can affect almost every industry including farming. Also every time you switch you will have to spend some time resetting your time as per the World Clock. While most retailers would benefit during the period of DST, people end up spending more time and money on shopping especially since they will have more time left after work. 

While there are many benefits of DST, the sleep-deprivation associated with the sudden time shift can cause quite a lot of issues. 

Convenience stores, gas stations, golf courses, sellers of barbecue grills and charcoal, people who enjoy outdoor sports and urban workers benefit a lot from DST. This is one reason why you face major opposition when you attempt to get rid of DST. On the other hand there are also farmers and scientists who are waiting to see an end to DST.

So if you can’t get rid of DST it would be better to accept it as the new normal and move ahead with your lives.