Daylight Saving Time officially begins on Sunday, Nov. 1 exactly at 2 a.m. Here are some useful, and some useless, facts about Daylight Savings time.
Backwards or Forwards? Can’t remember when the clocks move ahead an hour, and when they’re set back. Think “spring” ahead and “fall back.” We set our clocks forward in the spring and move them back in the fall.
Stock up on batteries: Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, along with fire departments across the country, use the changing of the clocks as a reminder for residents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors.
First thought: Benjamin Franklin is credited as being the first to come up with the idea of daylight saving. His idea was explained in the essay “An Economical Project,” which many describe as a work of satire. The thought was that by rising earlier and using more daylight, people could ration other light sources like candles.
Mythical origin: Many believe the adoption of Daylight Saving Time was an initiative to help farmers. This is 100 per cent false.
Actual origin: In 1916 Germany and Austria-Hungary used Daylight Saving Time in an effort to conserve coal during the First World War. Most of the allies quickly followed, while the U.S. waited until 1918 to adopt it.
Gentler times: A study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration concluded that crime was consistently less during Daylight Saving Time by as much as 10 to 13 per cent.
Hard on the heart? An American College of Cardiology study found that patients admitted for heart attacks jumped by nearly 25 per cent the Monday following the time change.
Energy saving? A 1975 study by the United States Department of Transportation concluded that changing the clocks could save as much as 1 per cent of electricity usage from March through April. A review of that study, however, found no significant savings.
Energy savings revisited: A 2008 study of U.S. energy consumption in 2006 found that residential energy use increased between one and four per cent during Daylight Saving Time. But another 2008 study by the United States Department of Energy found that the extension of Daylight Saving Time led to energy savings of nearly a half per cent.
Pedestrian dangers: Numerous studies show a spike in motor vehicle crashes and traffic fatalities following the time change in spring, but that doesn’t mean the roads are safer after we gain an hour from Daylight Saving Time. According to U.S. traffic statistics, pedestrian fatalities rise dramatically around the 6 p.m. hour immediately following the autumn time change
