Winter clock change reduces road safety
That extra hour in bed may feel sweet come Sunday morning but new research suggests that putting the clocks back an hour leads to a severe compromise in road safety and rise in vehicle theft.
Pedestrian road casualties jumped by 17% on the monthly average last November, according to a report from the Department for Transport.
The ‘Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain’ annual report also claims that the number of motorcycle accidents during November rises by 41.8% on the normal monthly average.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) pins these sharp increases on the winter clock change.
“Changing the current summertime system would save lives,” says IAM Chief Exec Simon Best.
“Children especially are more likely to be out and about after school and an extra hour of daylight will make them more visible.”
A poll conducted by the IAM found that 65% of motorists would support a double summertime system – moving the clocks forward by one hour throughout the entire year, while still putting the clocks forward in spring and back in autumn.
Simon suggests trialling a new daylight system over three years to gauge its effectiveness in limiting casualties.
“If the trial period proves the new daylight hours to be a disadvantage, it is clear that the current system should be reinstated,” he adds.
“However with convincing evidence of the potential benefits, it seems only right that we pilot a new system.”
Dark theft
Winding the clocks back an hour also fuels car crime if GPS specialists Tracker are to be believed.
Stolen vehicle recoveries rise by 20% in the winter months they claim, with November, January and February being their busiest months.
“Our figures confirm that the winter’s extra hours of darkness allow more time for thieves to break into vehicles unseen,” says Stuart Chapman, Tracker’s Police Relationships Manager.
Chapman adds that 84% of stolen cars recovered by the company were taken using the owner’s keys.
“This danger increases during the winter,” he continues.
“Added to this, on frosty mornings many people leave their car unattended with the engine on to defrost the windscreen, making their cars a prime target for thieves.”
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