ST. GEORGE — It’s that time of year again, when clocks turn back an hour and daylight saving time ends for the year. The reset takes place Sunday at 2 a.m.
Some love it, others hate it
Many people have a love-hate relationship with the biannual time change.
According to the Associated Press, 7 in 10 Americans prefer not to switch back and forth to mark daylight saving time, a new poll shows.
Those involved in the outdoor recreation and tourism industry often praise daylight saving time because it provides an extra hour of lucrative sunlight for people to spend extra time golfing, hiking and doing other outdoor activities. Parts of Utah’s tourism industry have opposed legislative attempts – and there have been several – to drop daylight saving time for this reason.
However, opponents argue daylight saving time can be a health hazard, as the time change disrupts an individual’s sleeping patterns, or circadian rhythms. Studies have linked the time change to an increase in car accidents, injuries and suicide, according to TimeandDate.com.
A little history
Starting on April 30, 1916, Germany and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use daylight saving time as a way to conserve coal during wartime.
Britain, most of its allies and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year, and the United States adopted it in 1918.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, Congress passed an act keeping daylight saving time year-round. That lasted from Jan. 6, 1974, to Feb. 23, 1975, when the order was rescinded, allowing standard time to return Oct. 27, 1975.
Hawaii is the only state that has fully opted out of daylight saving time. The majority of Arizona also does not observe it. However the Navajo Nation, which is primarily situated in Arizona and extends into Utah and New Mexico, does observe the time change. The Hopi Nation, completely surrounded by the Navajo Nation, does not observe daylight saving time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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