Regardless of whether we agree with it or not, we have learnt to accept the change in our routine and to adjust our schedule and our life around the concept of having another hour of daylight. And there is no doubt that the tiny act of adjusting the clock hands forwards or backwards means improvements in health, the economy and productivity. Some studies have also demonstrated a decrease in crime and traffic accidents due to the changing of the time – it is stastically safer to travel home from work or school in the daylight. The Department of Transportation estimated that around $30 million is saved annually in traffic accident costs.
And the benefits may soon be even greater – Congress recently voted to extend the period of Daylight Saving Time for an extra four weeks, beginning in 2007. The time period would run from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, with a resulting significant reduction in energy usage.
If you want to learn more about Daylight Saving Time – and time in general – a great place to visit is the National Watch and Clock Museum in Colombia, Pennsylvania. In addition to displaying over 12,000 timepieces of every conceivable kind, every April and October, on the two days each year when the time changes, the museum has a full program of events celebrating Daylight Saving.