To save lives, don't put clocks back this year

With the clocks going back this Sunday, IAM RoadSmart has once again called to scrap the practice this year, and switch to a daylight saving system to cut the number of young children injured in road crashes on their way home from school over the winter months.

By The Newsroom

Published 24th Oct 2018, 15:52 BST

Updated 24th Oct 2018, 15:53 BST

Statistics from the Department for Transport have shown that, of the 15,976 children hurt on Britain’s roads in 2016, nearly a quarter were hurt during the hours of 3pm to 5pm.

The likelihood of a child being involved in a crash on the way home from school increases by 20 per cent over the winter months.

It is well known that casualty rates rise between 3pm and 7pm as the days shorten. IAM RoadSmart warns that the dark afternoons are an especially dangerous time for youngsters coming home, with less supervision and individuals heading off to different activities at different times in this key period.

IAM RoadSmart is suggesting that, to allow extra daylight in the afternoons, we should not put the clocks back this winter, then next March move one hour ahead – and then go back one hour in October 2019 - so called ‘double British summer time’ which would also align us with most of Europe.