Lincoln Zephyr Makes It Easy To Get Ready For Daylight Savings Time

READY, SET … SPRING FORWARD!

Source: Ford Motor Company Newsletter

Get ready to spring forward one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 2 – the last time America will begin Daylight Saving Time (DST) in April.

How and when do you reset your clocks – and what does that say about your attitudes toward technology? A new study from Lincoln shows that while consumers may be tech savvy at home, many still need to refer to the owner’s manual to figure out how to set the clock in their vehicle.

"Intuitive technology can make the difference between frustration behind the wheel, and a truly enjoyable driving experience," says Lincoln Brand Manager Tom Grill. "The technologies featured in the new Lincoln Zephyr are designed with luxury and simplicity in mind – like the advanced DVD-based navigation system, keyless entry keypad and classic analog clock."

In a recent survey of luxury vehicle owners conducted by Harris Interactive for Lincoln, more than half (57 percent) of those polled indicated they like to know "just enough" about specific technologies to make them work while 35 percent said they considered themselves to be technophiles. Only 8 percent said they don’t care how things work, as long as they work. Yet, 62 percent rely on the owner’s manual to figure out how to reset the clock when it is part of their vehicle’s audio system. When the vehicle’s clock is separate from the radio, 48 percent admit to reaching for the manual. To reset the classic analog clock on the Lincoln Zephyr, consumers need only press the plus or minus key located just under the clock.

Survey Says

The survey also found that:

• Most luxury vehicle owners polled said they’re the ones in the household to change the alarm clocks (93 percent), wall clocks (92 percent), and clocks on home appliances (94 percent).
• Males (93 percent) are more likely than females (79 percent) to change the clock on home electronics themselves.
• Those who are 50 or older are more likely to change their home clocks before going to bed.
• 55 percent reset their alarm clocks/clock radios the night before Daylight Saving Time. 43 percent say they do it the day of the time change.
• 2 percent or less say they don’t bother changing the time at all on their wall clocks, alarm clocks and home appliances; 3 percent don’t change the time on home electronics.
• 57 percent say they reach for the owner’s manual to figure out how to change the clocks in their vehicles – including 57 percent of males and 69 percent of females.

A Brief History of Daylight Saving Time

In mid-June, the sun rises at 4:24 a.m. in New York City, 4:16 a.m. in Chicago and 4:11 a.m. in Seattle – offering a little too much light for many sleepers. An analysis of energy savings shows that 25 percent of electricity in the home is used for lighting and personal items like TVs, radios and appliances. Each day of Daylight Saving Time promises a 1 percent drop in electricity usage.

While America has debated the merits of Daylight Saving Time for decades, it continues to be a source of fascination and confusion for many. Most Americans associate DST with farmers. In fact, the clock change was first championed by the Chamber of Commerce, led by metropolitan department stores.

"It was all about leisure shopping," says Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time. "Daylight Saving was adopted to make more daylight available after work as folks walked to their homes – to give them a better look at what was for sale."

First passed into law during World War I, DST was quickly repealed by Congress because of its negative impact on farmers, who ended up losing an hour of morning light – which meant less time to get their crops to market. President Franklin Roosevelt re-instated DST during WWII to conserve energy. After the war, some areas in the U.S. observed it, while others did not – creating chaos in train and airline schedules. Why turn back the clock at 2 a.m.? According to Downing, this was originally done to accommodate the railroads. The fewest number of trains were on the track at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

In 1966, the issue resurfaced as President Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, an attempt to coordinate clocks in all 50 states. The energy crisis of 1973 saw President Nixon signing the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act to give us year-round DST – a change the country almost immediately rejected. Since 1986, most Americans have been springing forward on the first Sunday of April in order to save an hour of daylight, only to fall back an hour during the last Sunday in October. With Indiana recently joining the DST ranks, Arizona and Hawaii remain the only non-observers.

Now, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is stirring up more discussion as Daylight Saving Time will be extended by one month, beginning March 11, 2007. Downing notes that the change will be just another milestone in a long history that shows how little control we actually have over time.