Motorists, Equity & Unity Party
Opinion Column Archives
No.23 - British Summer Time or European Summer Time ?
Our main trading partners are in Europe yet we are limited in our verbal communications with those countries because of the lag between British Summer Time and European Central European Time. Both systems change one hour forward in the Spring and one hour back at the start of Winter.
Because of the lag British companies lose two hours each day to communicate with our European neighbours. Added to this is the difference of times during lunch hours. Surely it must be better if we get in step with our trading neighbours ?
From an accident point of view, particularly with schoolchildren it is far less likely that they will be involved in accidents in the mornings since they travel directly to school, either on foot, family transport, or buses. The problem with schoolchildren starts when they leave school in the afternoons. This is not only because of traffic problems but also because of the possibility to get into mischief or meeting with undesirables. This problem is augmented in cases where the parents are out to work all day.
The accident figures show clearly that afternoon accidents exceed morning accidents by at least 300%. Surely it is time to join our European neighbours by adopting Central European Time and give the UK an hours extra daylight in the evenings, Winter and Summer, the same as France, Germany and most other of our European competitors. The most convincing reason to reduce accident figures since daylight must surely help in this quest.
Because of the lag British companies lose two hours each day to communicate with our European neighbours. Added to this is the difference of times during lunch hours. Surely it must be better if we get in step with our trading neighbours ?
From an accident point of view, particularly with schoolchildren it is far less likely that they will be involved in accidents in the mornings since they travel directly to school, either on foot, family transport, or buses. The problem with schoolchildren starts when they leave school in the afternoons. This is not only because of traffic problems but also because of the possibility to get into mischief or meeting with undesirables. This problem is augmented in cases where the parents are out to work all day.
The accident figures show clearly that afternoon accidents exceed morning accidents by at least 300%. Surely it is time to join our European neighbours by adopting Central European Time and give the UK an hours extra daylight in the evenings, Winter and Summer, the same as France, Germany and most other of our European competitors. The most convincing reason to reduce accident figures since daylight must surely help in this quest.
Peter Sayers, secretary, M.E. & U. Party,
(campaigning for safer driving and reduction of accidents)
(campaigning for safer driving and reduction of accidents)
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