Would you trade 40 minutes of daylight to prevent 300 car accidents? Musk’s DOGE proposes abolishing daylight saving time

When the world was lowest during the First World War Sacrifices had to be made to support global efforts to eradicate nationalism, militarism and imperialism. To save fuel and energyThe USA switched to daylight saving time in 1918. We pulled the clocks forward by one hour in summer to allow regular business and school operations during sunny hours and thus avoid the need for more lamp oil.

Over 100 years later, this practice still exists despite significant improvements in efficiency. Spread of the automobileand no one fucking likes it. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have proposed abolishing daylight saving time altogether as part of their Government Efficiency Department and believe it or not, I think that’s a pretty good idea.

Nearly every state in the country has introduced or voted on a bill to eliminate the practice of changing clocks twice a year. Arizona and Hawaii do not yet participate in daylight saving time, and it appears that many other states will depend on how California’s vote for permanent daylight saving time will play out in 2018. Anyone who is forced to jump back and forth hates the practice, and in fact it seems to cause far more problems than it solves.

When it comes to our beautiful country’s roads, daylight saving time poses a threat to safety and results in a significant increase in car accidents, numbering in the hundreds. A 2020 study found that car accidents are about six percent more likely immediately after time advances. The loss of this hour leaves commuters more vulnerable to reduced ability to concentrate caused by lack of sleep and fatigue. A compound that reduces concentration during darker morning drives and changes in circadian rhythms, and you have a recipe for smashed cars and dead pedestrians. AAA research suggests that up to 18 percent of car accidents are caused by lack of sleep, and the change to daylight saving time only makes the problem worse.

I think, on its face, a Ministry of Government Efficiency is probably a good idea. Examining the hows and whys of federal spending is all well and good, but putting the responsibility for it on dueling idiots Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy may be the worst idea ever. A few of the richest people in the world are telling you that your civil liberties, your health care, your retirement and your freedoms are too expensive and that you should be very worried about it. You never really have to hand it to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, but abolishing daylight saving time is probably the best thing they can do for public support. This would be an extremely popular policy, Because over 63 percent of Americans support abolishing the semi-annual time changeand it could save some lives.

On the longest solar day of the year, the summer solstice, the average American would lose about 40 minutes of sunlight through normal hours of sleep. Instead of commuting in the dark and risking a serious accident or possibly even killing someone, I think that would be a compromise that I would be willing to accept, and it seems that the majority of Americans agree with me.