Using open-source data from automated pedestrian and cyclist counters in a United States district, my colleagues and I analysed the number of pedestrians and cyclists in the same hour of the day, over a two-week period, both before and after the clocks changed.Īnother reason people may not choose to walk or cycle when it is dark is because they feel less safe. This enables us to measure the impact that darkness has on how people choose to get around, while other influential factors such as the reason for travelling or the temperature remain largely unchanged. But twice every year, when the clocks change, researchers like myself get a rare opportunity to compare numbers of pedestrians and cyclists in the same hour of the day, but under different lighting conditions. Naturally, the number of people walking or cycling varies greatly at different times during the day. The only difference is the clocks have moved back one hour to mark the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. The following week, at the same time, the number of walkers and cyclists has dropped by almost half. Picture the scene: it is 5:30pm on a Tuesday at the end of October, and the streets are full of people walking and cycling home from work.
