Clocks change: Drivers should be be vigilant as crashes spike when time moves back an hour, AA says

Drivers have been warned to take caution when the clocks go back on Sunday as new data shows a spike in the number of accidents after the annual change.

The UK's largest motoring organisation, AA, said reports received for its national Accident Assist service increased by 11% in the fortnight after the October 2023 clocks change, compared with the previous two weeks.

Britons see their clocks move from British Summer Time, when the clocks go forward an hour on the last Sunday in March, to Greenwich Mean Time, when they go back an hour every last Sunday of October.

The October change means mornings become brighter earlier but the onset of darkness at night is also earlier.

Darker evenings, slippery road surfaces and drivers' vision being impaired by the low-lying sun all contribute towards increased collisions in late October and early November, AA warned.

Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said: "When the clocks fall back we see a rise in the number of crashes.

"Many of these could be avoided by making small changes to driving habits.

"Dazzle by low-lying sun can make a journey challenging, but being in control of your lights is easy.

"Leaving the stalk on auto is not always the best way forward.

"We urge drivers to help light the way to help them see others and help others see you."

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Analysis of Department for Transport (DfT) data by the PA news agency found there were an average of 183 more crashes that resulted in an injury in November than in October each year between 2014 and 2023 in Britain.

The average monthly totals in that period were 10,694 in October and 10,877 in November.

DfT figures also show 27 people were killed and a further 2,363 were injured in crashes where a driver's vision was affected by "dazzling sun" last year.

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