Permanent daylight saving time could endanger schoolchildren, study finds

Congress previously considered a bill to enact permanent daylight saving time, which has been approved by 19 states, but it remains stalled in the Senate. Some opponents worry about the potential for increased accidents.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Washington estimates that implementing permanent daylight saving time nationwide could result in over 2 billion additional commutes to school in darkness. This, they warn, could have “serious safety consequences for millions of schoolchildren.”

The study, which analyzed traffic collision data, found that fatal pedestrian accidents involving school-aged children are approximately twice as likely to occur during dark mornings compared to after sunrise.

“These dark mornings will disproportionately affect children who must attend school at specific times,” stated Horacio de la Iglesia, a professor of biology at the University of Washington. “…Nobody wants their kids to go to school in the dark.”

Morning sunlight plays a vital role in regulating the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, influencing melatonin and cortisol production and promoting better sleep. A lack of morning light can disrupt mood, sleep, and appetite, potentially impacting academic performance and increasing the risk of accidents.

The impact would be most pronounced for high school students, who typically have the earliest school start times. Students in western time zones and schools with early start times would also be disproportionately affected.

Guadalupe Rodríguez Ferrante, a postdoctoral scholar in biology and lead author of the study, explained, “Some districts probably never experience a dark commute under the current system, and, if this passes, suddenly they will wake up to this new reality that their kids are going to school in the dark.”

The researchers analyzed data from over 16,000 schools across 14 states, using start times, enrollment figures, and geographic coordinates to estimate the number of dark commutes. Researchers used an assumed departure time of 8 a.m., which they acknowledge may underestimate the actual number.