Member Article

Beware on 'Fatal Friday'

Road users will be more at risk of an accident today than any other day of the week, especially now that the clocks have gone back. Known as ‘Fatal Friday Phenomenon’, statistics show that more accidents happen on a Friday, and particularly between the hours of 4pm and 6pm, than at any other time. The statistics also show that the number of accidents jumps by up to a fifth in the winter compared to the summer.

Analysis of statistics from the ‘Road Casualties Great Britain 2006’ report reveals that there was a 12 per cent increase in the number of car users killed or seriously injured last year, from 1211 in October to 1340 in November. The number of pedestrians killed during the winter months showed a greater rise, being 20 per cent higher than in the summer: 339 were killed during BST, whereas 404 died during the winter.

As National Commute Smart Week draws to a close, road users and pedestrians are being warned to be extra careful by the Work Wise UK organisation.

Chief executive Phil Flaxton said: “Now that the clocks have gone back, many people will be travelling both to and from work in the dark. A combination of the end of a long and tiring working week with the rush to get the weekend started will result in some people being a little more careless than usual. Road users need to take care today, especially in the late afternoon.”

National Commute Smart Week was organised by Work Wise UK, the Government-backed not-for-profit campaigning body with members that include the TUC, CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, BT, Transport for London, Association for Commuter Transport and the RAC Foundation.

Further details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website www.workwiseuk.org.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .