You will obviously be aware that the clocks were put back an hour a few weeks ago with this meaning that it was lighter for many of you when you got up but it got darker an hour sooner later in the day. This meant that an awful lot of people were driving home in their cars in darkness.
Research by the AA’s Accident Assist Team has revealed that when the clocks were put back in 2023 there was an increase of 11% in the number of road traffic accidents in the two weeks after the date the change was made in comparison to the same period leading up to the date the clocks were put back.
Apparently, 40% of drivers felt that the worst thing about driving in the autumn months was because of the evenings and mornings being darker to drive in. However, the biggest concern for motorists driving in the autumn was the sun dazzling them whilst at the wheel with 73% feeling this was a problem.
Therefore, when driving motorists should consider making sure they keep further back from the vehicle in front to allow for braking on slippery and icy roads. Make sure that you have windscreen fluid to help clear the front and rear windscreens. Make sure that your windscreen wipers are working effectively. Make sure that your lights are working before setting off on a journey. Consider wearing sun glasses in your car when the sun is shining.
It is worth remembering that speed is also a factor when it comes to many road traffic accidents. So, consider reducing your speed and driving at a safe speed for the road and weather conditions. After all, if you only have 5 or 10 miles to travel to work reducing your speed by just a few miles per hour or so is not going to make much difference to your travelling time.
It will be interesting to compare the statistics for 2023 with this years figures should they be produced. If so, let us hope that the figures have improved.
