Will Utah Join Arizona In Skipping Daylight Savings Time?

I suspect most of our energy of things to be involved with this week is the upcoming Halloween festivities set for this week. And why not? It's on a Friday, so most of us can stay up a little later than usual and have some fun.

But as scary as it is, this year a day some people fear more than Halloween happens the next day...or more properly, the next night. It's the night we set our clocks back an hour at the end of Daylight Savings Time for another year. (Of course, these days most of our time devices are linked up and change time by themselves so we really don't do anything.)

Most every year we'll hear the voices raising in protest asking “why do we have to do this stupid thing?!!?”

Utah Can Say Goodbye To Daylight Savings Time

Interestingly, in Utah we don't have to do this stupid thing. Or at least we wouldn't have to do this if something highly unlikely were to take place. That would be the Utah Legislature demonstrating that is has a spine. I know, that won't happen.

I think may people are of the mind that Daylight Savings Time is just another mandate from the federal government that all of the states must abide by. However, that's not exactly the case.

Under federal law, states can remain on standard time year-round, as Arizona and Hawaii already do. Utah could make the same choice. If the legislature passed a law, or if a voter initiative was passed, we could “fall back” this weekend and be done with it. After the law was passed, all the state would have to do is notify the U.S. Department of Transportation that we're not playing this game anymore.

Now, some are likely thinking “what about my evening barbecues and sports activities in the summer?” I'm thinking most barbecues could be wrapped up by 9 or 9:30, and with the exception of golf courses, most sports venues have lighting so play can continue.

One of the reasons given why Arizona has opted out of Daylight Savings time is to let the cooling of the evening start a little earlier. Are you listening, St. George?

The supposed benefits of Daylight Saving Time—more evening daylight, energy savings, and increased outdoor activity—have largely dimmed over time. Studies show that the shift does little to conserve energy in modern households dominated by air conditioning and electronics. In fact, the twice-yearly change has been linked to a temporary rise in car accidents, heart attacks, and workplace injuries, all caused by the disruption of sleep patterns.

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For a state that values its wide-open spaces, healthy lifestyles, and family life, eliminating the clock change could be a welcome improvement. Farmers, long blamed for advocating DST, actually dislike it; livestock don’t check the clock before breakfast, and shifting schedules can be a logistical headache. Parents with school-age children would likely welcome consistent morning light for safer commutes.

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I've said on the radio show that this is not the sword that I will fall on. The clock changing ritual does not bother me all that much. But for those who want an end to this twice-yearly madness, all it would take is for the Utah Legislature to do something it is unlikely to do. Make a decision.