Research highlights the impact of the end of daylight saving
November driving: British Summer Time ends this weekend, with the clocks going back at 2am on Sunday morning.
New research reveals that if you’re driving in the rush hour between 4pm and 7pm, in November, you’re more likely to have an accident than you would before the darker conditions took hold.
November driving sees a 15% increase in accidents
Through analysing thousands of vehicle insurance claims from the last two years, the research, by Zurich Insurance found:
(A) Prior to the clock changes a quarter of vehicle accidents happened between 4pm and 7pm.
(B) After the clocks change, this jumps to nearly a third.
That is a 10-15% up tick on accidents happening at the same time of day, with the key difference being the darker conditions
“With the clocks going back on Sunday, it is important that we all take the time to understand how it can impact us as road users. Especially if commuting at the busiest times. Darker evenings add risk to the rush hour, and Zurich’s data shows that the hours between 4pm-7pm are when the majority of crashes occur in November”.
“Take additional caution as autumn driving presents different risks such as reduced daylight hours, wet or foggy weather and leaves and debris on the road causing potentially slippery conditions and often covering potholes. We recommend that you take time to prepare your car for the colder and wetter days ahead and adjust your speed accordingly to minimise the odds of a collision on your journey.”
– Phil Ost, a car insurance expert at Zurich
Top tips for driving in November
Here are some top tips for driving safely after the clocks change and into November:
Prepare for night time driving
Check bulbs, ensure all lights are working so that you can see and be seen by other road users.
Minimise the glare. Clean windscreens inside and out. Make sure that any cracks and chips are fixed before the cold weather sets in.
Adjust to the new conditions
Watch out for leaves and debris on the road. High winds and falling leaves can cover pot holes in the road and make the carriage way more slippy.
Fog, while affecting visibility, can also make roads wet so always adjust your speed to driving conditions. Plus, if you have automatic headlights, check they are working in Fog – they don’t always do.
Keep checking your car or vehicle
Regularly Check your car and vehicles thoroughly. Including all the tyres (don’t forget the spare), brakes, wipers and liquids.
November driving – take care and stay safe
All of us at CMS wish you the safest of journeys through the Autumn and into the Winter.
Our whole focus is on enabling a safer world through better risk management for fleet operators, fleet managers, insurers and via that improvements in truck and van driver safety. So, we ask that you take the time to understand the increased risk that November driving brings, and use these top tips to address those risks.
This post has been produced using original information appearing in Zurich Insider on 21 October 2020
