Bill Introduced In State House to Eliminate Daylight Saving Time

State Representative Bill G. Schuette has introduced legislation to simplify Michigan’s time zones, help improve sleep and academic performance and hopefully reduce rates of car crashes and heart attacks in Michigan.

Schuette’s “Sunshine Protection Act” will place Michigan on standard time year-round, eliminating the abrupt and unnecessary shift to Daylight Saving Time we experience every year in March. Research shows the spring transition to Daylight Saving Time increases the average rate of fatal automobile accidents by six percent nationwide due to loss of sleep which can contribute to delayed reaction times and less attention being paid to the road. Some studies have also examined fluctuations in heart attack and cardiovascular disease numbers around the periods where people “spring forward” with a time change, with hospitals reporting spikes in heart attack visits around the U.S. after Daylight Saving Time and a drop in visits after people get an extra hour to sleep.

Schuette says he often hears from constituents frustrated with the time change, concerned not only with the inconvenience of the loss of an hour, but the health risks associated with lack of sleep.