I am a student in Illinois, and my school day begins at 7:05 am. Every year when daylight savings time comes into effect, I find myself heading to school in the dark. This is not just an inconvenience; it's a safety concern for all students who have to travel early in the morning.

Daylight savings time was initially introduced during World War I as a way to conserve energy. However, recent studies indicate that this practice may no longer be necessary or beneficial. In fact, some research suggests that the disruption of our natural sleep patterns caused by changing clocks twice a year can lead to health issues such as heart attacks and strokes.

Moreover, there are states like Arizona and Hawaii that do not observe daylight savings time and they function perfectly well without it. It's high time we reconsider this outdated practice in Illinois.

What DST does:

• Move the clocks forward during the summer
• Cause sleep deprivation through lost sleep and the time being out of sync with the sun
• Cause dangerous and even deadly traffic, industrial, workplace, and medical accidents due to sleep deprivation
• Cause dangerous and even deadly diseases associated with sleep deprivation, such as strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and dementia
• Unnecessarily complicate time keeping, especially with the repeat of the time on clocks in the fall

What DST does not do:

• Add more daylight to the day
• Save energy in any meaningful amount

There are many drawbacks to permanent DST, such as:

• National law does not currently allow permanent DST, only allowing the options of having DST or not
• Permanent DST only eliminates the negative effects of time switching, while keeping the negative effects of the clocks being out of sync with the sun

By signing this petition, you are supporting the call for an end to daylight savings time in Illinois. Let's prioritize our health and safety over an antiquated tradition. Please sign this petition today!