Changing clocks ‘can save 50 lives every year’

MORE than 50 deaths on the roads each year would be avoided if the UK adopted Central European Time, a government spokesman said yesterday.

Earl Attlee, frontbench spokesman for the Department for Transport in the House of Lords, said there would also be 185 fewer people seriously injured in accidents if the UK moved the clocks forward by one hour during both the winter and summer months.

But he said the aviation industry would need five years’ notice if the government wished to switch to what he referred to as single-double summertime.

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Earl Attlee said: “We estimate that 54 deaths and 185 serious casualties would be avoided 
annually across Great Britain if single-double summertime were adopted.

“However, this would have a much wider effect on the economy and society and this must also be taken into account.”

He added: “In the aviation industry in the long term it would be positive. However, it would take three years to adapt to the time change, and the aviation industry would need five years notice of the change. In addition, they would need another three years if they wanted to go back.”