KEY POINTS:
As Americans spring forward into daylight saving three weeks earlier than usual, many New Zealanders are feeling shortchanged because the practice will run its course in this country at the weekend.
Some 35,000 of them have signed a petition to have daylight saving begin on the last Sunday in September and extend to the first Sunday in April. Those signatories seem to be only the tip of the iceberg. Not only is there a groundswell in favour of expanded daylight saving but an absence of fervent opposition. The time seems right for its length here to more closely resemble that of North America and Europe.
Many arguments are put forward in favour of extended daylight saving. Some are more watertight than others. The earlier start this year in the United States is part of the Bush Administration's energy-saving programme. Demand for electricity is expected to fall during the early evening peak hours as lights and television sets stay off, creating a 1 per cent decline in consumption.
However, aside from Department of Transportation research dating back to the 1970s, there is little data to support this conclusion. Indeed, it could be that any drop in evening demand is merely offset by an increase in morning use. A study in Victoria, which extended daylight saving by two months during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, pointed to that outcome.
Some other suggested benefits of daylight saving are equally problematic. These include the claim that there will be less crime. This activity, it is said, is usually carried out under the cover of darkness.
Then there is the view that lives will be saved and traffic injuries prevented because more people will travel home from work and school in daylight. That may be so, but it is, in fact, reasonable to assume a three-week extension of daylight saving could actually create added problems for Auckland motorists. Traffic congestion in the early morning is likely to increase because of the slender window of light for commuters.
Doubts about the precise statistical gains of daylight saving do not, however, overshadow its substantial advantages. In a country that promotes itself as a Mecca for outdoor pursuits, it makes sense to grant tourists the maximum possible daylight.
There is also a considerable social upside. People appreciate an extra hour of daylight, whether it is for summer sporting pursuits, spending time outside with their children, pottering in the garden, or socialising around a barbecue. The upshot is a healthier lifestyle, and a happier community. As one US Congressman noted: "It just brings a smile to everybody's faces."
The supporters of extending daylight saving now include the Prime Minister. Helen Clark said yesterday that she believed the practice could be "stretched a bit" at the end of summer. She was less in favour of bringing the start date forward, a position that acknowledges the now customary tardiness of spring. Either way, Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker seems less enthused. He says he is considering official reports, and that he does not think there will be any change this year.
The minister need not to worry too much about those reports. While they may reveal a scarcity of data to support a bigger slice of daylight saving, they should also show a wealth of popular support. Even the country's farmers, traditionally died-in-the-wool opponents, are relatively comfortable with the proposed change. A regulatory amendment is all that is required for extended daylight saving next summer. On this issue, Mr Barker need not look far to see the light.
