Time change to take place this weekend

Van Wert independent news

Some people don’t mind it, others don’t care for it but regardless, the time change will occur this weekend as clocks will officially “fall back” to Eastern Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 7.

Except for Arizona, Hawaii and several U.S. territories, daylight saving time begins each year on the second Sunday in March when clocks are set forward by one hour. They are turned back to standard time on the first Sunday in November.

19 states, including Ohio, have passed legislation or introduced bills to abolish the twice-a-year time change. In 2018, Florida approved legislation to permanently ban daylight saving time, but federal action is needed to permit such action.

Ohio’s resolution calls for making daylight saving time permanent year-round but like Florida’s measure, it needs federal approval.

Daylight saving time was originally enacted in 1918 to help save energy by giving more daylight in the evening hours, but it was repealed in 1919 then brought back during World War II. The Uniform Time Act was introduced in 1966 and became law that same year. Due to the energy crisis, year-round daylight saving time was used in 1974.

More recently, some studies have called into question the degree of energy savings. Other studies have shown negative impacts on people’s health, including cardiac problems because of time changes, along with a higher number of automobile accidents and workplace injuries in the days after a time change.