Jeremy M. Gernand, PhD, CSP, CRE
Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety Engineering
John and Willie Leone Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Time Changes Have [Unnecessary] Safety Costs

While it feels nice after the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the Fall to wake up or head into work or school with the sun and not in darkness, changes into and out of DST are both associated with increases in vehicle and other forms of home and work accidents (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2017.11.029) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2017.11.029).

The reasons for DST are no longer pertinent in our internet-connected world and this applies to time zones as well. We can make our own local decisions on school start times and business hours and make national and international coordination easier. Permanent DST (or ending DST) is just a necessary start, though one we should implement immediately. The human costs of these changes are unnecessary, and we owe it to each other to end them.

4 November 2024

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