Daylight Saving Time 2016: How, When, And Why To Spring Forward This Weekend

This is the time of year that virtually everyone dreads, and it is because they are going to lose an hour of sleep due to Daylight Saving Time 2016. Luckily for many though, it’s going to happen from Saturday into Sunday, so a lot of people may not actually miss out on any rest. Still, it’s coming and it could cause havoc for a lot of households, so here is the how, when, and why to “Spring Forward” this weekend.

Now, some may get confused on what exactly they are to do for Daylight Saving Time, but it’s really quite simple when you think about it.

• Spring Forward – set clocks ahead and lose an hour
• Fall Back – set clocks back and gain an hour

It all takes place on Sunday at 2 a.m. as that is when clocks will need to be moved forward to 3 a.m. for the correct time. Things may be made easier by simply setting your clocks before you go to bed and having all ready when you wake up on Sunday.

Syracuse.com has pointed out that Daylight Saving Time in 2016 is just about as late as you can get in the year to have it done. This is in part to the 2005 ruling by Congress that it would happen on the second Sunday in March every year.

It won’t happen again this late in the month until it falls on March 14, in 2021.

There are many things that need to be known and realized about Daylight Saving Time, as it’s not just a simple matter of adjusting clocks. Sure, that’s important because some may not realize it and then try to head to work on Monday morning and be an hour late.

Other things do need to be taken into consideration though and here is all you need to know.

1. Do all states take part in Daylight Saving Time?

No, they do not. Hawaii and Arizona do not take part in the changing of the clocks, according to National Geographic. In Arizona, the Navajo Nation do follow along with the changing of the time, but the rest of the state doesn’t.

U.S. Territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands also do not observe the practice. There are also some parts of Indiana that don’t follow along either. Some other states have attempted to pass bills to have it abolished, but failed.

2. Who came up with the idea of Daylight Saving Time and why?

Ben Franklin has done a lot that is still used today, and that includes Daylight Saving Time. In his life, he wrote an essay titled “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light.” It dealt with the idea of people getting up earlier to make the most of natural light and saving money on candle wax.

In 1907, Williams Willett introduced British Summer Time, aka Daylight Saving Time, and it really got underway. He put it in place to prevent valuable hours of light in the summer time from being wasted by people.

3. The amount of crime drops due to Daylight Saving Time

Believe it or not, robberies drop by seven percent when Daylight Saving Time goes into effect, and some places have even seen a decline as much as 27 percent. It makes sense though as Brookings reported because the more light, the less cover there is for criminals.

#DST begins this Sunday, shifting daylight to the evening and reducing street crime. Time to make it permanent? https://t.co/GkfvnjMs38

— Jennifer Doleac (@jenniferdoleac) March 9, 2016

Walking to your vehicle when it’s dark out, there are more places for criminals to hide unseen. Walking to your vehicle while the sun is still out makes things easier to manage for you and harder on those looking to take your belongings.

How do you say it properly?

Daylight Savings Time – WRONG

Daylight Saving Time or DST – RIGHT

Daylight Saving Time 2016 is almost here and everyone needs to prepare for it because for the most of us, there’s no avoiding it. Remember, not all clocks auto-adjust so set those that need it because you don’t want to be late for work on Monday morning. Now, you know the when, the how, and the why of Daylight Saving Time, but you still don’t have to like it.

[Image via Joe Raedel/Getty Images]