Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time (not Daylight Savings Time, officially) is when our clocks are shifted one hour later for the summer months in order to have more sunlight in the summer evening hours. The time springs forward one hour in the Spring and falls back into place in the Fall. This hour difference in the summer and winter allows for similar dawn hours for the whole year. Studies show that the practice saves an average of 1% annual energy. Other studies have shown that Daylight Saving Time reduces traffic accidents because the streets are better lit for longer into the evening.

Daylight Saving Time is practiced variably around the world. In the U.S., Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. The entire European Union changes at 1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. Areas near the equator do not observe Daylight Saving Time because the daylight hours don't shift as much or even at all during the year. Some nations and a couple of U.S. states choose not to practice Daylight Saving Time. While some people enjoy the extra evening light, others think it unwise to toy with time.