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Should the Daylight Saving Time be abolished? Evidence from work accidents in Italy

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  • Depalo, Domenico

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is considering abolishing Daylight Saving Time (DST), i.e. the two-phase time arrangement that shifts back and forth the clock time. I estimate the causal effect of DST on accidents at work using administrative data from Italy between 2013 and 2017. Exploiting a Regression Discontinuity design, I find asymmetric results. The number of injuries increases by 2% in the first three days after the introduction of DST, but the effect vanishes afterwards; neither disabilities nor deaths are affected. When leaving DST, the number of injuries decreases by more than 10% and disabilities by a smaller amount; these effects vanish after one week. The effects of DST, including asymmetry, depend on sleeping behaviour and ambient light. The asymmetric results imply that monetary savings from a smaller number of injuries will be lost if the EU repeals the two-phase time arrangement; however, these advantages are tiny and short-lived.

Suggested Citation

  • Depalo, Domenico, 2023. "Should the Daylight Saving Time be abolished? Evidence from work accidents in Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:128:y:2023:i:c:s0264999323003322
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2023.106520
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Daylight saving time; Work accident; Policy evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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