Backing the Lighter Later campaign
On the eve of the Daylight Savings Bill debate in parliament on a three-year trial to put forward the clocks in the UK, the RAC Foundation has backed the Lighter Later campaign.
If the campaign is successful then the clocks would still be put forward in the spring and back in the autumn, but overall an hour of dalylight would have been moved from the morning to the evening. This model goes by the name of Single Double Summer Time.
Accrodign to the proponents of the change the benefits would include:
- evenings that are lighter later when more people are awake to enjoy them
- a reduction in carbon emissions by at least 447,000 tonnes
- a net reduction of 82 in the number of lives lost in road accidents (according to the Transport Research Laboratory)
- a cut in crime
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
“Great Britain has made great strides in improving road safety over recent years, but there is still work to be done. The evidence firmly suggests that permanently moving the clocks forward one more hour year-round will save many lives. After all the debate it is now time to at least trial the idea.”
The campaign is also backed by groups including RoSPA, Brake, the AA, Sustrans, Living Streets, PACTS, Greenpeace and the CIHT.
ENDS
Contact:
Philip Gomm – Head of External Communications, RAC Foundation
020 7747 3486 / 07711 776448 / [email protected]
Notes to editors:
The RAC Foundation is a charity which explores the economic, mobility, safety and environmental issues relating to roads and responsible road users. Independent and authoritative research, carried out for the public benefit, is central to the Foundation’s activities.