Let’s move forward and stop falling back
Last week, Alabamians were once again forced to change their clocks in the middle of the night for the annual “fall back” for Daylight Saving Time (DST).
In the five years I have served in the Senate, making DST permanent is the number one issue I hear about. A lot of folks have asked me over the years, ‘Why do we even have Daylight Saving Time?’ DST was first introduced during World War I and then used again during World War II as a temporary way to help conserve fuel and energy. Following the ends of both wars, the decision to spring forward and fall back was returned to individual states. It wasn’t until 1966 when the system of changing our clocks twice a year was made permanent. Changing our clocks twice a year might have made sense in the sixties. But we aren’t the same country we were back then. Thanks to technology – farming, manufacturing, and other industries look entirely different today. The twice–a–year time change just doesn’t make sense anymore – and it hasn’t for a long time.
Changing our clocks twice a year isn’t just outdated, it is also dangerous. Northwestern Medicine found that the practices of “falling back” and “springing forward” are both connected to a 6% spike in fatal car accidents and a 24% higher risk of heart attacks. Changing clocks disrupts sleep patterns and means it is darker much earlier in the day – which can have fatal consequences.
The time switch in the fall can also negatively impact people’s physical health. The long-term health effects linked to changing our clocks include weight gain, cluster headaches, and depression. It also increases Seasonal Affective Disorder every single year, which causes many Americans to feel depressed.
As a founding member of the Senate Make America Healthy Again Caucus, I am extremely passionate about improving the health of all Americans. The back-and-forth switching of our clocks is the exact opposite of the Make America Health Again movement. It is bad for our sleep, nutrition, and overall health.
If we were to make DST permanent, Americans would enjoy an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. This may not seem like a big change, but it would make a difference in the lives of many Alabamians. No one wants to walk home at 4:45 p.m. during the winter in the pitch-black dark. It’s depressing and makes it difficult to be active outside after work.
As a dad, I always loved spending time throwing the ball around with my two boys outside. An extra hour of sunlight in the evening would give every parent more time outdoors with their kids. Kids don’t need to be inside playing video games. They need to be outside being active after school. Locking the clock is an important first step to helping Americans of all ages live longer, healthier lives.
It would also be a huge benefit for the economy. Studies have shown that longer days mean more people are going out to eat, shopping in the evenings, and supporting local businesses – stimulating local economies. I know our farmers would love an extra hour of sunlight. More sunlight means more time that can be spent making a profit in the fields and providing food to put on our tables.
It’s also safer during DST. Studies from Stanford University and the Brookings Institution have shown crime plummets when DST ends. Reports of robberies fall by 27%, murder falls by 48%, and rape falls by 56%. This should be a nobrainer.
Locking the clock would be a massive win for our country. A permanent, yearround DST is not only healthier and safer for Alabamians, but better for our economy than switching back and forth twice a year.
I’m proud that Alabama has led the charge and has already passed state legislation that would lock the clock permanently. It’s time for the federal government to follow the lead of most of the states and lock the clock. It’s time for America to move forward — and stop falling back.
Tommy Tuberville is Alabama’s senior United States senator.
