Every autumn we turn back the clock by one hour after having used that extra hour of sunlight to our advantage throughout the summer months. What you might not know is that traffic statistics show a significant increase in accidents and other road incidents in the two weeks immediately following the time change. As such, HGV and LGV drivers are being urged to be more cautious as everyone adjusts.
HGV UK says there are a number of factors that might help explain the increase in the number of road incidents after turning the clock back in the autumn:
- Evening Darkness – For many people, the ride home from work on the Monday after the time change is the first time they have had to drive in the dark since the start of summer. The onset of darkness means the familiar route drivers are used to is suddenly not as familiar.
- Increased Anxiety – Drivers that are normally anxious behind the wheel are made more so when driving in darkness. The fact that the time change is so sudden only exacerbates such anxious feelings. It may take some of these drivers a few weeks to settle down again.
- Reduced Visibility – Obviously, darkness reduces visibility significantly. Add the potential for bad weather during the autumn and it is easy to understand how driving home in the dark could be more challenging.
- Driver Perception – Experts say that perceptions of safety are dramatically affected by darkness. If a driver perceives something to be less safe, he or she tends to drive differently to accommodate for it. When a number of drivers sharing the same space have different perceptions, their different styles of driving can clash.
- Pedestrians and Cyclists – In city environments you have the added difficulty of pedestrians and cyclists not realising they are more difficult to see when it gets dark. Things are made worse if individuals wear dark coloured clothing or fail to don some sort of reflective garment once the sun goes down.
Statistics show that we all get used to driving in the dark a couple weeks after the time change. Not that this is a reason to be less cautious starting in mid-November. It’s not. However, we join other organisations in urging commercial drivers to exercise extra care while everyone gets used to the time change again.
Proper Training and Safety
As a leading provider of HGV and LGV driver training, we believe proper training and safety go hand-in-hand. That is why we work so hard to provide our students with HGV CAT C +E training that meets or exceeds all industry standards for safety. If you want to learn how to drive commercial vehicles safely and efficiently, the HGV Training Centre is the place to be.
We train students for all sorts of commercial vehicles including lorries, tipper trucks, vans, and more. New classes are forming regularly at our 60+ facilities throughout the UK. Contact us for more details.
Sources:
HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/10/29/lorry-drivers-urged-to-beware
