Daylight Saving Time Fall 2014: Will Utah Change Their Clocks For DST?

Utah might not have to worry about the old adage “spring forward and fall back one hour” if the state decides to abolish daylight saving time. Two Utah lawmakers have considered getting rid of DST after a statewide study revealed most people did not want to lose an hour at the beginning of November, the Washington Post reports.

State Rep. Lee Perry (R) and Sen. Aaron Osmond (R) will either leave the choice up to voters or propose it at the next legislative session. Out of 30,000 people polled, 62 percent were in favor of getting rid of it, Perry told the Post. “That tells me this is an issue people want to deal with,” he said.

The problem isn’t worrying about being on time the following day, but the potential safety issue it poses for the state’s children. “I’ve got parents frustrated because their kids are going to school in the dark,” Perry said. But not everyone in Utah is willing to give up on daylight saving time. Tourism and recreational groups are in favor of sticking with the tradition.

Hawaii and Arizona do not use daylight saving time. In fact, Hawaii never used it since it became a U.S. state after DST was implemented nationwide in 1918. Arizona opted out in 1968 and now--in addition to Utah--Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming might want to do away with it.

Since the observance of DST was inconsistent when it first started, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act into law in 1966. The original idea behind the time change it so save energy, but there has been little evidence to support its effectiveness.

For those not in Arizona or Hawaii, the clocks will be turned back Sunday, Nov. 2. at exactly 2 a.m., local time. Smartphones, computers, tablets and cable boxes will most likely update automatically. However, non-Internet enabled devices--like microwaves, stoves and some car clocks--will have to be changed manually.

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