When the clocks go back on 31st October, we will all look forward to an extra hour of much needed sleep, but Road Safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist is concerned about how changing the clocks can be a danger for road users and put lives at risk.
David Williams, MBE, CEO of GEM Motoring Assist comments: “Poor weather, decreased visibility and bad road conditions are all rife during the winter months and have a serious effect on the rise in accidents and hazardous breakdown situations. Changing the clocks only adds further to the dangers for road users particularly for those on foot including vulnerable school children. What’s more, with the recent news that councils are planning to dim or turn off street lights in certain areas of the country, making conditions even worse, there is no better time to champion the need for lighter evenings.”
Naturally, GEM is keen to highlight the 10:10 Lighter Later campaign – fighting for an hour of daylight to be moved from the morning to the evening. David Williams continued, “This is a great counter argument to the council’s plans to try and reduce carbon emissions through turning off street lamps; with lighter evenings when more of us are awake, and darker mornings when we are asleep, there will be less need for lights altogether.”
As an official sponsor David Williams believes the Lighter Later campaign is the way forward, “This will make our roads a safer place by increasing visibility when more of us are on the roads and in turn will help prevent unnecessary accidents. Plus it will definitely reduce our electricity bills! I would strongly encourage people to sign up to the campaign by visiting www.lighterlater.org and show support for a campaign that has so many benefits.”
This campaign is great, my daughter is 13 and I hate her walking home from the train station in the evening in the dark. It doesn’t help that the uniform is black either. I think the country would be a happier place if it was lighter!