Daylight Savings Time comes to an end this next weekend, ushered in by legions of bright-eyed goblins and (I’m forewarned) perky Hannah Montanas, heralding the coming of winter while nailing shut the coffin of yet another summer. As far back as I can remember, I’ve dreaded the annual return of Standard Time, or, as I’ve preferred to call it, “Daylight Losing Time,” where, instead of the promise of outdoor activities, I emerge from a long day in the office into a world of gloom. Beyond my personal feeling on the matter, however, the reason we continue to observe the time change is because there’s purpose behind such seemingly frivolous observance.
The advent of Daylight Savings Time had to do with maximizing the available hours of sunlight and minimizing the use of auxiliary lights. At the time, conserving energy meant preserving candles and killing a few less whales for lamp oil. Today, though, one quarter of residential electrical use is for powering lights, TVs, PCs, and small household appliances. Our use of these modern marvels increases when we’re at home, and since we tend to be home when it’s dark, turning the clocks forward one hour during the summer saves us all money.
You can read more about getting the most out of your electricity in our sister publication, Distributed Energy. But, there’s another important benefit to our semi-annual clock resetting, and that’s making our streets safer. An extra hour of sunlight on the tail end of the day has been shown to reduce traffic accidents in the summer, while that extra hour during winter mornings makes it safer for children waiting for the school bus or riding their bikes.
Children aren’t our only precious investments out on the road early in the morning; our residential waste collectors are on the streets early each day, running their routes amid the frenzied morning commuters and parents trying to get their kids to school on time. Equipping our workers with reflective vests is one way to make them a little bit safer, but giving them a little bit more light—not to mention an extra degree or two of warmth—may do even more for their safety and comfort while they do their job.
But how about using the semiannual time shift as a reminder to reenergize the “Slow Down to Get Around” message to your community, at the same time reminding your drivers that despite the time change, the lowered wintertime illumination levels increase the hazards of their jobs. Then take some comfort that Daylight Savings Time 2010 (March 14th) is only 134 days away