Time flies.....again - but don’t be unprepared for the clocks going back

It may only happen twice yearly, but it feels like it’s every five minutes, although that could just be a symptom of advancing age. Nevertheless, it’s that time of year when we all get to enjoy an extra hour in bed.

When the clocks go back at the end of October that’s usually the first thing most of us think about. Let’s be honest, it’s much nicer to think about snuggling under the duvet rather than the fact that there is an annual spike in the number of crashes on the country’s roads immediately after the autumn clock change.

Every year sees a sudden increase in the figures from October through to December. Each one of those months can see additional mortalities or those seriously injured but who might have made it home safely a few weeks earlier.

The Autumn clock change plunges many journeys into darkness or gloom literally overnight. Analysis has shown accident rates among motorists driving between 4-7pm in the weeks directly following the October clock change can increase by upwards of 30%.

Nobody is immune to the additional risk either. Male drivers are almost 40% more likely to be involved in an accident at this time of year. Female drivers see a 30% increase in accidents in the ‘home time’ rush hour after the clocks change. Young drivers who speed at night are three times more likely to have an accident than those who speed during the day.

Even an accident of geography can have an impact on your chances of running into trouble on the road.

Drivers across Lancashire and Yorkshire, the Northern counties, and the entirety of Scotland have the highest increase in accidents between the hours of 5-8pm after the clock change. We might not live on the largest island in the world, but even a couple of hundred miles North or South can have a dramatic impact on the time the sun dips below the horizon.

Alongside the reduced daylight, that period of adjustment can also coincide with a whole range of challenging seasonal driving conditions.

The onset of rainy and wet conditions, freezing temperatures, dazzling from headlights, wet leaves, reduced visibility and not driving to the road conditions all impact on accident rates. At the same time, other factors such as lower levels of alertness for motorists, inexperienced drivers, and children’s tendency to take their time wandering home from a busy day in school can all have an impact.

Over a quarter of us spend between one and two hours driving every day, and as the weather slowly worsens the potential issues will quickly follow. So, as you’ve probably already guessed, it’s also the time of year for the friendly reminder that as the seasons change, your driving style should also change accordingly.

The sun isn’t shining, the roads aren’t bone dry, and we’re all supposed to be sensible and responsible drivers who just want to get home safely. Just a few simple precautions and a little bit of consideration can have an impact that goes way beyond statistics.

Tips for driving when the clocks go back

- Drive below the speed limit: give yourself more time to react to things like cyclists without lights or pedestrians in dark clothing.

- Don’t dazzle other drivers: keep your lights clean and turn your headlights on before sunset. Keep your interior light off and avoid leaving your main beams on. If you need to turn on your fog lights at any point, make sure you turn them off again when they are no longer needed.

- Keep your windscreen clean: avoid increased glare and minimise the risk of being dazzled by oncoming vehicles.

- Adapt your speed: reduce speed to correspond to the amount of water on the road, as heavy rainfall leaves roads wet and slippery, reducing tyre grip and increasing the risk of skidding, even for careful drivers.

- Drive smoothly: avoid hard braking and sharp steering movements for better control of the vehicle and to avoid wheel locking.

- Hang back: allow ample stopping distance between the cars in front as stopping distances are doubled on wet roads. The gap should be at least four seconds to the car in front, increasing to ten seconds on icy road surfaces. - Finally, give yourself more time for the journey - conditions will make it longer than during the summer months.

Follow these simple rules and the only thing you will have to worry about when the clocks change is what to have for breakfast after your extra hour in bed.