The clocks went back an hour on Sunday 25 October. Mornings are a little lighter for now, but for most of us the drive home from work now happens at dusk or in the dark. And for the next few months, the low winter sun will sit right in our eyeline on the morning and mid-afternoon commute.
If you missed the change at the weekend, your car clock may still be an hour out too, so it's worth a quick check.
The drive home just got riskier
A new analysis of Department for Transport figures compared the three weeks either side of each autumn clock change from 2022 to 2025. Collisions between 4pm and 7pm rose by 23.5% once the clocks went back, while collisions at other times of day barely moved.
Evening collisions rose after the clocks went back in every year
Rise in 4pm–7pm collisions: three weeks after vs three weeks before the autumn clock chang
The sharpest jump came between 5pm and 6pm, up 45.3%, which is exactly when many people are heading home. A route you've driven in daylight for months suddenly feels different in the dark. Road safety charity RoSPA also points to a marked rise in pedestrians and cyclists killed or seriously injured each autumn, as children walking home from school and people cycling become harder to see.
Five quick ways to stay safe
1. Check your lights. Walk round the car and check headlights, rear lights, brake lights, indicators and number plate lights all work, and wipe the lenses clean. Lighting faults are one of the most common reasons for MOT failures, and a dim or misaligned headlight gives you less time to react.
2. Clear your screen, inside and out. A grubby windscreen scatters low sun and oncoming headlights into a blinding glare. Clean the inside too, replace wipers that smear, and keep the screenwash topped up with a winter mix.
3. Be ready for low sun. Keep a pair of sunglasses in the car and use your sun visor early. The Highway Code (Rule 237) is clear: if you're dazzled by bright sunlight, slow down, and stop if you need to. Remember the drivers coming towards you may be dazzled too.
4. Look out for people you can't see. Take extra care near schools, crossings, junctions and side roads, where pedestrians and cyclists in dark clothing are easy to miss. Halloween and Bonfire Night mean more people out on the pavements in the evenings over the next fortnight.
5. Slow down and leave more space. Your eyes take time to adjust to the dark. A bigger gap to the car in front gives you more time to react, especially on wet, leaf-covered roads.
Driving an EV? Use pre-conditioning while the car is still plugged in, so the screens are clear and the cabin is warm before you set off without using battery range on the road.
The MPH view
Darker evenings catch out even experienced drivers, so a five-minute check of your lights and screen this week is time well spent. If you manage company vehicles, it's a good moment to remind your drivers too, as part of your duty of care.
Leasing through MPH means newer cars with modern LED lighting, automatic headlights and the latest driver assistance as standard. To talk about your next car or van, call us on 01242 500 007.