Are you ready for the clocks to change?

Driver Guides 

It’s that time of year again. When the clocks go back at the end of October the first thing most of us usually think about is that extra glorious hour in bed. Snuggling under the duvet for a bit longer is a much more pleasant thought than the cold, dark mornings that aren’t too far away. The Autumn clock change plunges many journeys into darkness literally overnight and the number of accidents on the country’s roads spikes immediately afterwards.

Analysis has shown accident rates among motorists driving between 5-8pm in the weeks directly following the October clock change can increase by upwards of 30%. With that in mind, it’s probably a good time to go over all those hints and tips to make your life easier and your journeys safer as the nights begin to draw in.

The clock change brings with it a number of challenging driving conditions beyond the reduced daylight. The onset of rainy and wet conditions, dazzling from headlights, wet leaves, reduced visibility and not driving to the road conditions all impact on crash rates. At the same time, other factors such as lower levels of alertness for motorists, inexperienced drivers, and children’s tendency to take their time wandering home from a busy day in school can all have an impact.

It doesn’t really matter who you are or where you live, the risks of having a collision increases as the days get shorter and roads can be poorly lit, wet, and slippery.

You can also add a further complication in the shape of breakdowns too.

A properly maintained car should easily cope with the worst conditions the UK’s winters can bring. The changing of the clocks is a good reminder to make sure your car is in the best condition to handle the changing season - taking out a maintenance package with your lease is one way to do this. The alternative is spending a few hours at the side of the road, which is an even more unpleasant experience when it’s cold, dark, and pouring with rain.

Make sure your tyres are in good condition and properly inflated, check your lights are all working properly – if you’re driving a new car, make sure you know where all the controls are located, and check your wipers are up to the job of keeping your windscreen clear so you can see where you’re going when it gets darker. Keeping your fuel level topped up and checking your battery health are never a bad idea either, just in case you get stuck in traffic somewhere.

And while we’re on the subject of batteries, a word of warning to EV drivers too.

Colder weather can have an impact on the performance of your car’s battery pack so it’s unlikely you’ll get exactly the same range in winter as you would in the height of summer. Turning your lights on earlier (or setting them to auto if you have that function), using your wipers more often, even turning the heating up so you’re warm and cosy on your commute can all have an impact on battery life. It might be worth factoring in some extra charging time so your battery is always topped up and range is maximised. If your car is equipped with a preconditioning function you should make the most of it to get your car ready for the darker mornings while it’s plugged in rather than draining power from the battery once you’re on the move.

Ensuring you minimise the additional risks at this time of year so you make it home safe and sound is always worth the time.

There are a few simple precautions you can take to make sure you get the benefits of the clock change without any of the unpleasant consequences.

Tips to successfully survive the clocks going back

• Drive below the speed limit to give yourself more time to react to things like cyclists without lights, pedestrians in dark clothing.
  
  
• Don’t dazzle other drivers: keep your lights clean and turn your headlights on before sunset. Keep your interior light off and avoid leaving your main beams on. If you need to turn on your fog lights at any point make sure you turn them off again when they are no longer needed.
  
  
• Keep your windscreen clean to avoid increased glare and prevent you being dazzled by oncoming vehicles with a smeared screen.
  
  
• Slow down: reduce speed to correspond to the amount of water on the road, as heavy rainfall leaves roads wet and slippery which reduces tyre grip and increases the risk of skidding, even for careful drivers.
  
  
• Avoid hard braking and turning sharply for better control of the vehicle and to avoid wheel locking.
  
  
• Hang back: allow ample stopping distance between the cars in front as stopping distances are doubled on wet roads. Motorists should be at least four seconds behind the car in front; 10 seconds when driving on icy road surfaces.

---

View our latest blog posts