DST all year would save much more than energy Given the early
arrival of daylight-saving time this year, it is an appropriate
moment to reflect upon the reasons for DST -- both the ones
offered publicly and the far more crucial ones omitted.
Congress' rationale for extending DST was that it would help
save oil (it takes less energy to heat a house during daylight).
Notably, oil is an increasingly crucial resource as supplies
dwindle and as Middle East stability looks less certain.
However, a far more important benefit should be the one
proffered: DST saves hundreds of lives because darkness
contributes to car accidents, which in turn cause injury or
death. An extra hour of daylight in the evening will prevent
many of those accidents and save lives. However, it trades an
extra hour of darkness in the morning, so the question is: Is
there a net benefit? When does darkness matter more, at night or
in the morning? Because more people are awake and moving about
at 4-6 p.m. than at 6-8 a.m., it is logical to belie