- First Daylight Savings Time in Ohio - Wikimedia Commons Image by U.S. Federal Government
Wait - don't we "Fall Back" in October? Not any more. As of 2007, Daylight Savings Time was extended for an extra month. That means that we "Spring Forward" in March instead of April, and "Fall Backwards" in November, instead of October. So, when do we "celebrate" Daylight Savings Time (DST) this year? The date for "Fall Back" in 2011 is actually the 6th of November. Check an Internet time clock to see if you have the correct time on your clocks before planning to deal with the 2011 time change.
Setting Clocks: When do you "Fall Back?
Prior to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the date for moving clocks back one hour in the autumn was on the last Sunday in October. The changes in DST due to this legislation began in 2007, changing the "Fall Back" date to the first Sunday in November. For a list of the exact Spring Forward and Fall Back dates through 2012, check out the Daylight Savings Time - Spring Forward & Fall Back Dates.
DST History - Even Atomic Clocks Need to be Reset!
Daylight Savings Time was legislated in 1966, with the passage of the Uniform Time Act. The act created uniform dates for the beginning and end of DST, but allowed individual states to "opt out." According to National Geographic, in The History of Daylight Savings Time, (Retrieved September 12, 2010) the Department of Transportation was charged by Congress to "foster and promote widespread and uniform adoption and observance of the same standard of time within and throughout each such standard time zone."
Daylight Savings Time, first suggested by Benjamin Franklin, is intended to extend the daylight hours available in the evenings. Resetting clocks benefits office workers, schoolchildren and anyone else who has evenings free and wants more daylight during their free time. Set clocks back to save energy, by reducing the amount of electricity needed to light homes during daylight hours. According a study in the the Berkeley Electronic Press Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, volume 7 (2007) The Short and Long Run Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Fatal Automobile Crashes, changing clock time twice a year actually reduces traffic accidents.
No Clock Changes in AZ or HI
Don't reset your clocks if you live in AZ or HI. The Uniform Time Act set forth the dates of Daylight Savings, but left the enactment of DST up to individual states. Currently, every state except Arizona and Hawaii participates in the "Spring Forward" and "Fall Back" traditions. Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that don't participate in DST, but a number of US territories, such as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, abstain from the ritual of turning back the clocks as well. If you use an online calendar, or calendar software, make sure you have your location set, so that it does not automatically update.
Internet Time Clock
Check this Internet Time Clock to see if your time is correct. If you have an online calendar or online clock, you should have the correct dates for DST in 2011. The dates for Daylight Savings Time have changed, but the process remains the same. When you "Fall Back " on November 6, 2011, at 2:00 AM, remember to reset all clocks, to prevent time-confusion. If you have elderly relatives or neighbors, offer to reset clocks to prevent accidents or problems with medication dosage. Other ways to help an elderly friend include:
Creating Disaster & Survival Kits for the Disabled or Elderly
Home Automation Products Offer Independent Living for Seniors
Victoria Nicks - Victoria Nicks has a Master's Degree in IT, and extensive hands-on experience with various types of hardware and software.
