GMT vs BST

[Shakey]

Was reading the post below about the most dangerous day of the year, and the associated BBC link that quotes:

<RoSPA blames the increase on the clocks going back at the end of British Summer Time - and it says scrapping this changeover would mean 450 fewer deaths and serious injuries from road accidents.>

How? Are they saying that more accidents happen as a result of darker evenings than darker mornings? How do they know? I'd have thought that more accidents would occur on dark mornings when people tend to be more tired, sluggish, or skipping breakfast etc.

Personally I think time should be GMT all the time. The sun should be at its zenith at midday. If people want to make the most of the longer summer days they should get out of bed earlier in summer,instead of all this p***ing about with the clocks.

It makes my blood boil!

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[doug748]

Could not agree more. Some media pundits seem to think they are getting a longer day. Brian

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[mikewilkes]

Completely and utterly agree.
AND stop calling it UTC. Its GMT and should be know as such. - but there again I am just called a silly old fart by the kids and the wife!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[snowleopard]

the other side...

a few years ago the experiment was tried for a short while. we remained on BST (renamed british standard time) for a year or two and the number of road accidents did go down.

chief cause was reckoned to be the fact that kids tend to go straight to school in the mornings but play about in the streets after school so it's better to have the darkness in the morning.

it would be nice to have the meridian passage at noon but it is only approximately at 1200 zulu/gmt/utc anyway and more like 1215 down here in the west.

personally i hated leaving work in the dark and get much more done during BST though i was fortunate in being able to work 8-3.30 which most people can't.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[pragmatist]

Re: the other side...

Half days then as well as now ? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK - but serious about not being in the UK !

 

[snowleopard]

Re: the other side...

yes, that was before bliar & the red mafia abolished the IT contracting industry. we weren't allowed to work long hours because the client had to pay overtime /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[oldharry]

Scrap GMT and stick to BST. I too remember the xperiment when we stayed on standard time throughout the winter. Safer. Light to 5.30pm even at Christmas - none of this putting the lights on straight after lunch rubbish, etc.

And safety? yes the accident rate did go down, because the evening rush when commuters are more tired and preoccupied with the stress of earning their pittance happened mostly in daylight except for a month or so round December, so the roads were safer.

Labour did before, but our current 'do nothing unless Brussels tells you' govt is unlikely to this time round.



<hr width=100% size=1>