One in five road accidents in Scotland have taken place at rush-hour, a new study has found.
The research by One Poll shows that 22 percent of Scottish road accidents take place between 4pm and 6pm, "making it one of the most dangerous times to be on the road".
The study commissioned by Confused.com, the insurance price comparison site, says that with over four in five Scottish drivers citing darkness as their least favourite condition to drive in, the return to Greenwich Mean Time, with the clocks going back an hour this weekend, may be unwelcomed by many.
With some areas of Scotland only experiencing seven hours of daylight over the next few months, the research suggest that drivers need to be extra vigilant on the roads.
Road safety charity IAM Roadsmart says that motorists should act on the findings.
Peter Rodger, IAM RoadSmart's head of driving advice said: “The evening rush hour has been a major concern for injuries on the road, with darkness adding to the problem as autumn and winter conditions settle in, aggravated by the annual change to GMT at the end of October.
"Difficulties in other areas of life have meant that Britain has kept to the current time changes, where altering that would be beneficial on the road.
"However, whatever the timing – drivers would be helped by a quick reminder to do the things that may help as the evening start earlier – make sure the lights work but don’t dazzle, that windows are kept clean inside and out to help maintain clarity of vision, and accept that the conditions may alter the way they make journeys.
"We can all learn more, and we encourage any initiative to provide drivers with the support to help them manage the conditions.”
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “Our research shows many Scottish drivers feel less confident when driving at night. Commuters especially, who are already having to battle through traffic during the dangerous evening rush hour, must be dreading the darker evenings, which can make the journey home more challenging.
“Reduced visibility clearly plays a part in motorists’ reservations about driving at night, yet we don’t teach people how to cope with night time conditions as a matter of course. When vision is reduced, tiredness can strike and it can be far harder to spot vulnerable road users such as pedestrians or cyclists"
The study showed that despite concerns about night-time driving conditions, learning to drive in the dark was not obligatory, with two-fifths (40 percent) of Scottish motorists never taught to drive at night. But 56 percent believe it should be compulsory and more than one in five (22 percent) think newly qualified drivers should be accompanied when on the road after dark.
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