20/10/2026
Daylight saving time ends again this weekend with the clocks going back an hour, some concerning statistics on a spike in evening accidents:
• Overall Collision Spike: Total road traffic collisions increase by 11% in the two weeks following the autumn clock change
The AA.
• Evening Commute Surge: An analysis of Department for Transport collision records by Driving.org found a 43% nationwide increase in 5:00 PM collisions during the three weeks after the clocks go back.
• Accident Severity: During that same 5:00 PM window, serious injury collisions increase by 54% and fatal collisions rise by 42%.
• Weather and Road Conditions: Around 90% of these extra 5:00 PM autumn crashes happen on wet, damp, or adverse road surfaces.
• Regional Differences: The evening spike varies significantly by region, Scotland it’s as much as +75%
A reminder that the DRL (daytime running lights) on most cars only engage dim front lights and no rear lights, so make sure you turn on your lights manually when driving over the winter months.
