These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
47% Don't Think Daylight Saving Time Worth the Hassle
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Daylight Saving Time begins early tomorrow morning, but, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, 47% of Americans don't think the time change is worth the hassle. Forty percent (40%) disagree, and 13% more aren't sure.
These figures are unchanged from our survey last October , when Daylight Saving Time for 2009 ended.
Men tend more than than women to think advancing the clock an hour to guarantee more sunlight in the afternoon and evening is worth the trouble. Adults 40 to 64 are more likely to feel the change is worth the hassle than those in other age groups.
Luckily, most (83%) adults know that they should move their clocks forward an hour before going to bed tonight. Regrettably, though, that means a lot of us are likely to lose an hour of sleep on Sunday.
Nine percent (9%) think they're supposed to move their clocks back an hour, and eight percent (8%) aren't sure what to do.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of adults admit that they've arrived early or late somewhere because they didn't change their clocks correctly to or from Daylight Saving Time. However, 70% say that's never happened to them.
Younger Americans are more likely to have made this mistake than those who are older. Those with children living with them have been early or late more than those who don't have children living with them.
The United States adopted Daylight Saving Time in 1918. It calls for moving the clock forward one hour near the start of spring so that there is more daylight in the afternoons and evenings. When Daylight Saving Time ends in the fall, clocks are turned back an hour. An often-used reminder is "spring forward, fall back."
Don't forget: The time changes at 2 am tomorrow. And set your clocks forward an hour.