Danger on the roads as clocks go back with accidents set to rise

With the clocks set to shift from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on Sunday 27 October, drivers are being urged to be extra cautious following a 10 per cent rise in car accidents recorded when the clocks went back last year.

According to data from the AA’s Accident Assist team, call-outs for its service rose by 11 per cent in the fortnight following the clocks changing last Autumn. Such a rise is also expected to occur in the coming weeks, with Accident Assist managing director, Tim Rankin, affirming that “[the] stats are clear that when the clocks fall back, we see a rise in the number of crashes.”

Several studies have been undertaken as to why we see an uplift in accidents after the clocks change, with the general consensus identifying darker streets and wet and slippery weather as the causes.

Statistics such as those submitted by the AA have led to calls for the ‘Spring Forward, Fall Back’ concept to be abolished. Dr Gisela Helfer, a body clock expert from the University of Bradford, said earlier this year that “quite a few studies have now looked at a correlation between the clock change and things like heart attacks and car accidents. The results are astonishing.

“Clock changes were brought in originally to save money but there is currently no need to do this,” she continued. “I would argue it is time to end the practice of changing the clocks twice a year.”

Motorists are also being advised to keep an eye on their headlight settings so as not to dazzle other drivers. This is to not add insult to injury, as roughly three quarters (73 per cent) of the 10,000 people the AA surveyed say that being dazzled by the low-lying sun is the worst part of driving in Autumn. This is backed up by accident statistics, as Department for Transport data shows there were almost 3,700 collisions in 2023 in which someone was killed or seriously injured due to the driver’s vision being obscured or affected.

Rankin described Autumn as “the most testing” season in which to drive, given the varying weather and light conditions. Last year, the AA reported that crash levels can rise by as much as a quarter in the darker months between October and December. “The best advice is to drive to the conditions, ensure your car is in good condition and to look out for other road users.”

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