With daylight saving time (DST) set to take effect this weekend, the decades-old debate over whether to abolish or make DST permanent has resurfaced. Tech billionaire Elon Musk recently conducted a poll on X (formerly Twitter), asking users what the U.S. should do if the time change were eliminated. The results showed a near even split, with 58% favoring setting clocks an hour later and 42% preferring an hour earlier.
This discussion comes amid renewed legislative efforts to end the practice of changing clocks twice a year. The issue has drawn attention from political figures, including former President Donald Trump, who voiced support for eliminating daylight saving time. The ongoing debate raises several key questions: Why does DST exist? What efforts have been made to repeal it? What do experts say about its impact on health and daily life? Here’s a detailed look at the history, controversy, and future of daylight saving time.
Why do people want to end daylight saving time in the United Stated
The movement to end daylight saving time has grown in recent years due to concerns over health, safety, and practicality.
1. Health and sleep disruptions
- The abrupt time change disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and biological functions.
- Research has linked DST to increased heart attacks, strokes, and sleep disorders.
- A 2023 statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine supported the elimination of DST, emphasizing the health benefits of permanent standard time.
2. Increased risk of accidents
- Studies suggest a rise in road accidents in the days following the time change due to drowsy drivers adjusting to the shift.
- Workplace injuries have also been observed to increase in the aftermath of DST transitions.
3. Farmers’ concerns
- Farmers have long opposed DST, as livestock do not adjust to clock changes.
- Dairy farmers, for instance, face challenges because cows need to be milked on a consistent schedule, regardless of daylight.
4. Calls for consistency
- Many people simply find DST inconvenient and unnecessary in the modern world, arguing that businesses and schools should adjust their schedules instead.
- Eliminating DST would prevent twice-yearly disruptions and simplify scheduling across states.
What is daylight saving time
Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour in the spring to extend evening daylight hours. This adjustment takes place every year in March and lasts until November.
- In 2025, DST will begin at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, at which point clocks will move forward to 3:00 a.m.
- However, two states—Arizona and Hawaii—do not observe daylight saving time.
The system was originally introduced during World War I as a way to conserve energy by extending daylight hours in the evening. The concept was later refined and standardized in the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which established five time zones in the U.S. and allowed states to opt out of DST.
History of the daylight saving time controversy
The debate over DST is not new. Since its inception, there have been hundreds of efforts to abolish or modify it.
- 1918 – First implemented during World War I, DST lasted only one and a half years before being repealed in 1919.
- 1942 – During World War II, DST returned as “War Time” to conserve resources. It remained in effect until 1945, after which states were left to decide whether to follow it.
- 1966 – Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, setting nationwide daylight saving time from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. States could opt out.
- 1974 – Amid the energy crisis, President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, making DST year-round to reduce fuel consumption. The policy was highly unpopular, especially among parents, as dark mornings made school commutes unsafe. It was repealed within a year.
- 2005 – President George W. Bush extended DST as part of the Energy Policy Act, moving the start date to the second Sunday in March and the end date to the first Sunday in November.
Despite these changes, the twice-yearly clock adjustment continues to spark debate, with strong arguments for and against the practice.
Legislative efforts to end or modify daylight saving time in the US
Over the years, lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills to either eliminate DST or make it permanent.
- 750+ bills and resolutions related to daylight saving time have been introduced at the state level.
- In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which proposed making daylight saving time permanent nationwide. However, the bill failed to pass in the House of Representatives and was not enacted.
- A new version of the Sunshine Protection Act was introduced on January 3, 2025, proposing permanent daylight saving time. If passed, states that do not currently observe DST (Arizona and Hawaii) would have the option to remain on standard time.
Despite widespread interest in “locking the clock,” there is no clear consensus on whether permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time would be the better solution.
Would permanent daylight saving time or standard time be better
As per reports, Elon Musk’s poll highlights a key dilemma: If DST is eliminated, should the U.S. stick with standard time or daylight saving time year-round?
Past surveys have shown mixed public opinion:
- 40% of Americans prefer permanent standard time (no DST).
- 31% prefer permanent daylight saving time.
- 28% want to continue switching between standard and daylight time.
Experts caution that choosing permanent daylight saving time could create unintended consequences.
Dark mornings and safety concerns
- In cities like Miami, Texas, and Los Angeles, permanent DST would mean over 100 days per year of dark mornings at 7:30 a.m., making it dangerous for children going to school and commuters on the road.
- Kenneth Wright, a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, notes that permanent DST misaligns the body’s natural sleep cycle with sunlight, potentially increasing health risks.
Expert opinion on the best option
- The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations favor permanent standard time, arguing it aligns best with human biology and circadian rhythms.
- Dr. M. Adeel Rishi, a sleep medicine expert at Indiana University Health, warns that DST increases risks to public health, mental well-being, and overall safety.
