ORLANDO, Fla. – Daylight saving time was once permanent, not just in Florida but across the United States.
As U.S. Sen. Rick Scott puts “locking the clock” as one of his legislative priories for 2025, News 6 looks back when the United States did that -- for one winter.
Recommended Videos
[RELATED: DST vs. Standard: What it would look like]
UCF history professor Jim Clark said during the midst of the 1970s oil crisis, President Richard Nixon led the effort to make daylight saving time the standard for two years to save energy. This initially started in January 1974, Clark said, which led to the sunrise and sunset moving back an hour.
“In fact, it did not save power because it gave people more daylight later in the day. So, they went out, did stuff. They drove their cars and went places and had fun, so it failed,” Clark said.
The two-year experiment was cut short, with backlash from people all over the country, Clark said. He said many criticized the time change due to it being pitch black at 8:30 a.m. when many were sending kids to school in the dark, causing safety problems.
“There was backlash, and remember, it was also during Watergate, and so every Nixon idea was a bad idea,” Clark said.
Meanwhile, David Prerau, author of the book “Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time,” shared how Florida was specifically impacted by the time change.
“In Florida, in the first two weeks of winter daylight-saving time, eight Florida children were killed on their way to school, as opposed to two in the previous year,” Prerau said. “It became a big issue.”
On the other hand, it seems many Americans would like to try this experiment again, according to a report by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. In 2020, the organization conducted a survey which stated that 63% of Americans support eliminating seasonal time changes.
Meanwhile, with the issue possibly set for discussion again in the upcoming legislative session, Clark is skeptical that it will pass.
“I am dubious whether it will go through the Senate and the House again. I think the Senate passed it overwhelmingly last time, but I think now there’s been enough pressure from the Northern states to say, wait a minute, let’s slow down. But it’s going to be interesting. Obviously, if President Trump endorses that, that will change the whole picture,” Clark said.
We want to know what you think! Cast your vote below.