Police are urging drivers and pedestrians to use caution when out and about following a time change that they say usually results in a spike in collisions.
The clocks went back one hour overnight as daylight savings time came to an end.
While the time change meant an extra hour of sleep for most residents, it will also mean dark commutes home and increasingly dark mornings.
For that reason, police are warning both drivers and pedestrians about the need to be alert and aware of their surroundings.
“At this time of year for some strange reason we do see a spike in collisions whether it is pedestrians being struck or collisions between vehicles,” Toronto Police spokesperson Gary Long told CP24 on Sunday morning. “We hope that pedestrians will wear lighter clothing and pay more attention to their surroundings and drivers as well. There are leaves, its wet conditions, you may get some slipperiness when you are driving and it is a little darker.”
On Thursday night there were a total of 17 pedestrians struck across Toronto amid steady rainthat created hazardous conditions.
Long said that with the clocks rolling back, it is a good time to remind drivers and pedestrians to “pay more attention to their surroundings.”
The sunset in Toronto is scheduled for 5:04 p.m. today but it will be getting darker earlier and earlier right up until Dec. 21.
