Sunday, October 28 at 3:00 am, it will be 2:00. This time change leads to a peak of pedestrian and cyclist accidents. Thursday, October 25, during the operation “Well seen Together”, Road Safety will distribute visibility kits.
On the night of Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th October, we are going to switch to winter time, this may be the last time. At 3:00 am, it will be 2:00. Consequence, after this date, it will be dark an hour earlier. According to a study, the period following the time change is accompanied by a peak of traffic accidents and particularly accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists.
Sudden change of light in question
According to statistics, the period from October to November sees an increase of 30 to 40% in the number of accidents involving pedestrians. After the time change, the number of accidents is almost doubled compared to the previous period.
After the time change, there was an increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists, especially in the niche from 17H30 to 20H00.
says the Gendarmerie Major Alain Gaillard, Deputy Head of the Office of Road Safety Bouche-du-Rhone.
The reasons for this increase would be multiple, but it is especially the sudden drop in visibility conditions. Indeed, it is night one hour earlier and this sudden drop in brightness falls at rush hour.
The Monday evening following the change of time is particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.They are best to wear clothing with reflective fabric.
More serious accidents
The number of accidents increases after the time change, but they are also more serious. Impact speeds at the time of accidents are higher after the time change.
There are two reasons for this, pedestrians do not change their habits, do not adapt their behavior and cross in the dark and motorists do not see pedestrians too late.
Added to this is the fatigue, inherent in the change of time.
Operation “Well Seen Together”
To raise public awareness and protect the “fragile users” of the road, Road Safety organizes the operation “Bien Vu Ensemble”. In most major cities in France, agents will distribute visibility kits to pedestrians and cyclists including: yellow vest, armband, yellow backpack with reflective tapes …
People dress a lot with dark colors, during the winter period, pedestrians and cyclists should at least wear light clothes.
urges Major Alain Gaillard. It states that for cyclists, legislation provides that the wearing of a reflective vest is mandatory at night, out of town.
In Bouches-du-Rhône, the operation “Bien Vu Ensemble” will take place on Thursday, October 25, at 17:00.
In Marseille, go to:
Under the Ombre du Vieux-Port
Place Castellane
In Aix-en-Provence, go to:
Square of La Rotonde
In Arles, go to:
Boulevard des Lices
Disturbing figures in the Bouches-du-Rhône
While road mortality has dropped overall (-22.4% as of October 21, 2018 compared to the same period of 2017), that of cyclists has increased by 100% over the last twelve months, with 4 people killed in 2018. As for Regarding pedestrians, the police prefecture recorded in 2017 an increase in mortality with 26 deaths to deplore against 13 in 2016. To date, 13 pedestrians have lost their lives in 2018. According to the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety this surplus of accidents is “a consequence of reduced lighting time, pedestrians are hardly perceived by other users, while they feel to be seen. “