INDIANAPOLIS — A bill passed this week in the U.S. Senate would make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
It's been a popular debate in Indiana, but some health experts have concerns.
"The time in which we're making that transition from standard time and daylight saving time, we generally observe a number of medical and psychiatric conditions," Dr. Alon Avidan, a professor in the UCLA Department of Neurology, said.
Dr. Avidan says issues that arise when springing forward include doctors making more medical mistakes, more deadly heart issues and an increased risk of depression and suicide. He says for some, those issues don't go away for as long as daylight saving time occurs.
Other experts, like David Reich with the National Road and Safety Foundation, say because we lose an hour of sleep and it's darker in the morning, there could be an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes.
If the law were in effect for Christmas 2022, the sun wouldn't rise until 9:04 a.m. If passed and signed by President Joe Biden, the new law would take effect in November 2023 to give time for industries to adjust.
"We need more data, and because we don't have data, I don't think you can make legislation that is very rigid," Dr. Avidan said.
Currently, Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that don't observe Daylight Saving Time.
-
Ball State students react to ending DEI programs
On Friday, Ball State students protested the decision to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, saying it would hurt diversity on campus and give in to racismStorms, heavy rain move through Central Indiana on Saturday
On Saturday morning, Central Indiana was hit by several rounds of rain and storms that caused some minor damage and even led to the cancellation of the Carmel Marathon.'Deeply Ingrained' Program inspires youth through woodworking and life skills
What started as a simple project for a father and his children has blossomed into "Deeply Ingrained," a program offering valuable woodworking skills and life lessons to hundreds of children.Tips to prevent basement flooding before as more rain approaches
The next round of heavy rain is in the forecast for the weekend. It comes about two weeks after storms dumped inches of rain in Central Indiana.