RoSPA urges MPs to back Bill for change in time

RoSPA has urged the House of Commons to support a Bill that it claims could save 450 deaths and serious injuries on Britain's road each year.

Nigel Beard MP (pictured) last week introduced a Ten-Minute-Rule Bill that would bring lighter evenings all year round.

RoSPA says his plan to move clocks forward by an hour throughout the year would be a positive move for road safety.

Mr Beard's Bill proposes advancing the time by one hour in England and Wales and would give powers for Scotland and Northern Ireland to make their own decisions. RoSPA believes a common system for the whole of the UK would have the greatest road safety benefit.

RoSPA says that studies show that vulnerable road users such as children and the elderly are more at risk during dark evenings than in the morning. For instance, children will go directly to school in the mornings, whereas after lessons they tend to hang around or go to visit relatives or the shops, leaving them at risk on the road for longer periods. Motorists are also more tired after a day's work and concentration levels are lower.

Under the current system road casualty rates increase after the clocks are moved in autumn, with the arrival of darker evenings and worsening weather conditions. In 2002, pedestrian deaths and serious injuries rose from 759 in October to 851 in November.

"The most recent research shows that the system we are proposing would result in around 450 fewer road deaths and serious injuries in the UK," said Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety. "There may be more casualties on winter mornings but these would be outweighed by the reduction in deaths and injuries in the evenings.

"Longer evenings would provide more opportunity for outdoor activities, and would bring significant environmental, economic and health benefits - the latter being particularly relevant to the current debate about obesity and public health," Kevin Clinton added.

RoSPA’s position is fully supported by LARSOA. "This initiative is justified in road safety terms," says Steve Whitehouse, LARSOA chair. "There would be other issues in Scotland but we feel that the number of lives saved across the country mean that this needs Government support. It is endorsed by all the major safety organisations and is an annual debate that needs resolving.

"Britain experimented with Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour throughout the year in 1968-1971, which gave the same winter times for sunrise and sunset as the Bill would give. During the first two winters of the experiment 2,500 fewer people were killed or seriously injured. There was an increase in morning casualties but the reduction in evening casualties far outweighed it," Steve Whitehouse added.

RoSPA would like to see a trial of at least two years using modern evaluation methods and data collection to give accurate figures on the benefits in terms of reducing road accidents.

More @ www.rospa.co.uk.