Do You Want Daylight Saving Time to be Permanent?

**Brian Lehrer** (0:09)
Brian Lehrer on WNYC. And we will end the show today with a quick follow-up call-in on something we asked Senator Andy Kim about last hour. It's the bill that has now passed the House of Representatives, and so is in the Senate's hands, to make daylight savings time year round. If you were in the Senate, would you vote for this bill? 212-433-WNYC. This is a daylight savings time year round. Yes or no? Thumbs up or thumbs down? 212-433-WNYC. You be the Senator, because the Senators are going to have to vote on this apparently, because it passed the House. 212-433-9692. Actually, we can expand it slightly to say, which of the following are you for? Year round daylight savings time, as in the bill, year round standard time, or keep the current back and forth.
212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.
When I asked New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, where he stands on this when he was on the show last hour, he candidly said he hasn't made up his mind yet, and he cited some pros and cons.

**Andy Kim** (1:28)
I think some businesses are excited about having daylight savings because it's more sunlight in the evening, more evening activities, sports, other things like that. So that's one thing. The con that I hear is that, look, a lot of kids are going to be going to school in the dark in the mornings, and there was an increase in accidents for kids.
Also, it's about just like sleep rhythms, and that it could be detrimental for a number of people when it comes to sleep patterns and being able to stay healthy.

**Brian Lehrer** (2:05)
So pros and cons from Senator Kim, who's still deciding, how do you want him to vote? And which would you prefer, year-round daylight savings time, year, okay, it's singular, I know, daylight saving time, I never say it right. Year-round standard time, keep the current back and forth, or there's even one more option, we got a text already from somebody who said, split the difference, move it 30 minutes, in between where the two of those time periods are, and keep that all year round. You tell us, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.
It's an informal, unofficial, thoroughly unscientific call in on the Daylight Saving Time Year Round Bill. We'll take your calls and texts right after this.
Brian Lehrer on WNYC, all right, to your calls and texts on this Year Round Daylight Saving Time Bill, which did pass the House of Representatives and is now before the Senate. Jane in Union City, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jane.

**Jane** (3:20)
Hi, thanks for taking my call. I didn't know I'd be talking with you. My thought was...

**Brian Lehrer** (3:26)
You could have assumed it since you called in, but anyway, hi.

**Jane** (3:30)
Okay. Long, long, long time listener. Thanks for everything that you do.

**Brian Lehrer** (3:36)
Thank you.

**Jane** (3:37)
I think that it would be worthwhile voting it in with a provision that says, let's monitor what this does. Let's look at the benefits.
Look at how well it works. And if in three to five years, it's chaotic and not working, then think it through again.

**Brian Lehrer** (4:00)
Good.
Kind of test your hypothesis way of looking at it. How do you like that one, folks? Three to five years as a trial and see if it's working. Of course, if some of the health experts are right, more people will die as a result of that. But that's one of the things, right? I have the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Statement here, which says daylight saving time leads to improved safety for pedestrians, but worsening safety for drivers and motorcyclists. So it would be a mixed bag in that respect. Another listener seems to want to split the difference by what part of the country you're in. Listener writes, standard time in the northern states all year round, please. Young students starting school in the dark in the late fall and winter is no good. It's Karen Kay at the Jersey Shore.
But you know, maybe it's different as you get closer to the equator. How about Ernest in Chelsea? You're on WNYC. You're a split the difference guy in another way, right?

**Ernest** (5:07)
Sure. Move at 30 minutes, leave everybody half happy, half sad, and make all states comply so that we're all there, and leave us out of sync with the rest of the world. We already are.

**Brian Lehrer** (5:21)
Thank you, Ernest. About the rest of the world, I have a stat here that about a third of countries observe daylight saving time. Most of those countries are in Europe, so Northern Hemisphere.
Some countries that had implemented daylight saving time would later abolish it, so there's some history there to draw on from some other countries. This push for permanent daylight saving time or the idea of abolishing, it would not be without precedent in some other places in the world. How about Julia on Cape Cod? You're on WNYC. Hi, Julia.