The Inquiry

The House of Representatives has voted to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States. If the measure is approved by the Senate and becomes law, most Americans would no longer spring forward in March or fall back in November.For more than a century, changing the clocks has been used to make better use of daylight, but the practice has long divided opinion. Supporters of the bill argue it boosts productivity and removes the disruption of changing the clocks twice a year. Critics warn that permanent daylight saving time could affect health and road safety as people face darker winter mornings.Around the world, governments have taken different approaches. Some have scrapped seasonal clock changes altogether, while others continue to observe them. We examine why daylight saving time was introduced and whether the case for changing the clocks still stacks up today. Is daylight saving time working?Contributors: David Prerau, author of Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Sa