Digital Commons Network^™

Time Well Spent: Congressional Daylight Saving Time Legislation Saves Lives, Not Just Oil, Steve P. Calandrillo

Steve P. Calandrillo

Abstract: Several nations implemented daylight saving time legislation in the last century, including the United States. The United States briefly experimented with year-round daylight saving time twice—during World War II and the energy crises in the 1970s. Agency studies and Congressional hearings from the 1970s show several benefits of year-round daylight saving time, along with potential disadvantages. These studies are dated, and much has changed in the last 30 years. While Congressional efforts to extend daylight saving time in 2007 have again focused on the energy savings this legislation would produce, far more meaningful benefits have been largely ignored. This …