ROAD SAFETY organisation GEM Motoring Assist is urging the UK government to put children’s safety first and agree to adopt Single/Double British Summertime (SDST). Experts maintain the move, involving an adjustment of the clocks to GMT + 1 in the winter and GMT + 2 in the summer, would prevent 80 deaths and more than 200 serious injuries on the UK’s road each year.
GEM road safety officer Neil Worth comments: “Dark spells danger for pedestrians, and road casualty rates rise when the evenings are darker. Figures show a 10 per cent rise in fatal pedestrian collisions during the four weeks after the clocks go back.
“Estimates from the Department for Transport’s own research suggest the benefits of a move to SDST would amount to nearly £140 million annually, with just a modest £5 million one-off investment in communicating the change.
“We believe the reasons for opposing the change – generally from those representing the interests of farmers and postal workers – are irrelevant and outdated. After all, farming technology is vastly improved, and postal deliveries take place throughout the day, not purely in the early mornings.
“GEM, in line with all safety groups, supports a change to SDST, because it will make a significant contribution to reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.â€
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