(Indianapolis, Ind.) – A group gives reasons ranging from safer driving conditions to better grades for switching Indiana to the Central Time Zone.

State Representative Phil Hinkle (R-Indianapolis) is planning to introduce legislation in January when lawmakers return to session to move the state to the same time zone as Chicago, St. Louis, and other major cities closer than New York City.

Hinkle spoke over the weekend at a conference for a group called the Central Time Coalition. The group favors having all 92 Indiana counties an hour behind, as it was from 1883 to 1961.

Currently just 12 Hoosier counties are in the Central Time Zone - including all of those in the metro Chicago area - while the remaining 80 counties are on the Eastern Time. 

In 2005, state lawmakers approved putting the state on Daylight Savings Time, leaving just Arizona and Hawaii as the states which do not ever change their clocks.

The Central Time Coalition’s website says a later sunrise during winter months has proven dangerous for Indiana schoolchildren. The site lists eleven kids who were raped, killed, or robbed during the pre-dawn hours while waiting at bus stops.

The group also says more daylight during the morning commute would help reduce crashes. Noted are warmer temperatures and sunlight that can help melt icy roads faster. Indiana would have an increase to 315 days with the sunrise before 7:00 a.m. according to the coalition.

LINKS:

Indiana Central Time Coalition - http://www.hoosiersforcentraltime.com/