With nights drawing in, RoSPA is urging the public to sign an online poll calling for clocks to be changed to allow an extra hour of evening sunlight.
For decades, RoSPA has been at the forefront of the campaign to give the UK an extra hour of evening daylight, citing research showing that lighter nights would save 80 lives and prevent more than 200 serious injuries on our roads each year.
According to RoSPA, the clock change campaign is closer to succeeding now than at any time since 1970, thanks to a Private Members’ Bill by Rebecca Harris MP – which passed its second reading in Parliament with a huge majority.
To help the Bill clear the next hurdle – and to coincide with the end of British Summer Time – RoSPA is calling on the public to convince Westminster of its popularity.
If successful, the Bill will lead to the Government carrying out a cross-departmental analysis of the benefits of Single/Double Summer Time (GMT+1 in winter / GMT+2 in summer), which in turn could trigger a three-year trial.
Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA’s chief executive, said: "Now that darkness is about to descend – and with it an almost inevitable spike in road accidents at twilight – we need to rekindle the debate. With Rebecca Harris’s Daylight Saving Bill about to be discussed in the House of Commons again, it’s time to see some democracy in action.
"And what better way of proving the popularity of a proposal than to let the ‘silent majority’ have its say through an online poll. For that reason, I urge as many people as possible to join the debate – and to help make a difference."
The survey result will be unveiled by Tom Mullarkey, via Twitter (@RoSPA #clockchange), on 26 October. This will be followed by a live hour long Q&A Twitter session with Tom Mullarkey from 12.30 pm.
Click here to visit the RoSPA lighter evening campaign website. To support the campaign click the ‘Support Our Campaign’ button.
What a good idea, bring it on! I’ve signed up.
Linsey, South Yorkshire
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