'Should the clocks go back?' Poll discussion

geordie_joe

eganchips wrote: »

If as it would appear, most of the objections concern the 'plight' of schoolchildren in Scotland, why can they not change the school hours there? Ultimately, there are only the same number of hours in a day.

But them what would happen to the parents who have to take young children to school before they go to work, and pick them up again after work?

geordie_joe

I've just been reading the links posted by jsknight100 in post #14.

RoSPA try to give the argument that the roads will be safer, one of those is

In 2008, pedestrian deaths rose from 38 in September, to 55 in October, 62 in November and 56 in December.

Which is intended to make us think that the increase is due to the clocks going back and the evenings getting darker earlier.

.How ever, Sep to Dec is a quarter of a year, the darkest quarter. The total deaths for that quarter comes to 211.

According to the Department of Transport there were 2,538 deaths on the roads in 2008.

So 2,538 - 211 = 2,327 left for the other 3 quarters of the year. Divided equally that makes 775 deaths in each of the other quarters.

Looks to me like the light nights are far more dangerous than the dark ones. But you make make the dark nights seem more dangerous, if you carefully select your words and the data you show people.

HeyerFan

sheeps68 wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer GMT all year round. Dont see point or need to change them at all and we are after all on Greenwich meridian.

I too would prefer to be on GMT all year round, I hate having to get up an hour earlier in the spring (not a morning person) and positively look forward to the extra hour in bed in the autumn. In the winter, whether on BST or GMT I would be travelling home in the dark but at least with GMT I can go to work in daylight! There is nothing worse than driving to work in the dark; your body is telling you that you should still be in bed!

As I understand it SAD sufferers feel better if they are woken by natural light so staying with BST all year could even increase the number of sufferers (a lack of natural light makes the brain produce more of the sleep hormone melatonin and less mood-boosting serotonin, leading to depression and lethargy).

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich is the place where East meets West (the Greenwich Meridian Line - 0° longitude) and the home of GMT from which all World time zones are based. If we no longer used Greenwich Mean Time we would lose yet another thing that makes our country unique - and for what? To have the same time as Europe? Why?

SaintMark

Keep it on GMT all year round.

wildthing01

i voted a, but to be honest I wouldn't be too concerned either way, as long as they then just left it alone and stopped changing it every 6 months. every time the clocks change, my young children's sleep routines are completely messed up - last autumn, my little girl was up at 4.30 every morning after the clocks went back. took 3 months to get her back to a reasonable time. plus i always have the paranoia that i've done it the wrong way and will end up waltzing into work an hour late!

Bilbobaggins_2

I agree with Ethanol, it makes perfect sense to put the clocks back half an hour then never touch them again!!

wildthing01

geordie_joe wrote: »

I've just been reading the links posted by jsknight100 in post #14.

RoSPA try to give the argument that the roads will be safer, one of those is



Which is intended to make us think that the increase is due to the clocks going back and the evenings getting darker earlier.

.How ever, Sep to Dec is a quarter of a year, the darkest quarter. The total deaths for that quarter comes to 211.

According to the Department of Transport there were 2,538 deaths on the roads in 2008.

So 2,538 - 211 = 2,327 left for the other 3 quarters of the year. Divided equally that makes 775 deaths in each of the other quarters.

Looks to me like the light nights are far more dangerous than the dark ones. But you make make the dark nights seem more dangerous, if you carefully select your words and the data you show people.

the other thing to remember is that the RoSPA data is just raw data, there is no controlling for other factors. road death figures coudl be rising between sept and december for many reasons - more bad weather, pedestrians wearing darker clothes, and hurrying to get home quicker therefore not looking carefully etc etc etc. correlation does not imply causation. many people fall for statistics quoted out of context like this, because, as you say,you can make statistics show pretty much anything you want.

Dodge_2

eganchips wrote: »

If as it would appear, most of the objections concern the 'plight' of schoolchildren in Scotland, why can they not change the school hours there? Ultimately, there are only the same number of hours in a day.

twixeey wrote: »

Excellent idea:T

You can't change school times without messing about the working parents who drop off and/or pick up their children.

My vote, leave it alone.

geordie_joe

wildthing01 wrote: »

plus i always have the paranoia that i've done it the wrong way and will end up waltzing into work an hour late!

Don't worry, if you do that just announce that in 6 months you will do it wrong again and waltz in an hour early.

Serendipity

England should be on European time (as Spain is, same longitude). If Scotland doesn't like that, then let them move their clocks back to Gorbals time or whatever they fancy. Who cares!