IAM LEADS NEW MOVE TO REDUCE YOUNG LIVES LOST TO ''DAYLIGHT ROBBERY''
31 October 2004 - Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists

Children dying in the road crashes that follow the clocks going back every October are at the centre of a new move by road safety campaigners to change the daylight regime.

Concerns of IAM Council member and broadcaster Nick Ross have prompted a letter from safety campaigners seeking a commitment to review the policy.

Ross argues that tourism, leisure and sporting organisations generally support a move to Single/Double Summer time, but the main benefit will be fewer child casualties on dark roads.

Now campaigners are calling on politicians in all the main UK parties to change the current regime, because there are more accidents in the afternoon rush hour than in the morning.

''Motorists are tired after a day''s work and concentration levels are lower,'' said Mr Ross.

''We expect politicians to take responsibility for the current needless loss of young lives. Doing nothing is not an option.''

''Given the hysteria over false health scares like MMR it is little less than sensational humbug that we deliberately kill roughly 100 children every year. Let''s hope that this year is the last that we put the clocks back in this way.''

The move would also put the UK into the central European Time Zone. Although there may be more casualties in the morning during the winter, these would be outweighed by the reduction in casualties due to an extra hour of daylight in the evening, so producing a net reduction.

Estimates vary, but numerous reports have looked at the extent of the casualties. In 2002, pedestrian deaths and serious injuries rose from 759 in October to 851 in November.

A letter from IAM Chief Executive Christopher Bullock to politicians calling for a change was supported by Brake, PACTS, RAC Foundation, RoSPA, and Transport for London.

www.iam.org.uk

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