BE seen and be safe – that’s the message to all road users in Nottinghamshire as the clocks go back an hour at the weekend.

Nottinghamshire County Council is reminding pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike to make themselves more visible during the dark winter nights.

British Summer Time comes to an end at 2am on Sunday morning and the clocks will go back one hour. That means that evenings will become noticeably darker, with dusk falling as early as 4pm – just as schoolchildren are travelling home and rush hour begins. As winter progresses, it will also be dark on school journeys in the morning.

The council is urging youngsters to wear fluorescent or bright clothing in the daytime and reflective material at night to make them more visible to drivers.

At the same time, motorists are being urged to use their headlights so that not only can they see other road users but they, themselves, can be seen. Drivers are also being advised to check their lights now to ensure that they are all working properly.

Without reflective clothing or accessories a pedestrian or cyclist is only visible, in low beam headlights, from 30 metres away. By wearing or using reflective items they become visible at 150 metres, giving drivers five times the distance to notice and avoid them.

Motorcyclists should ensure they are as visible as possible from the side as well as the front and rear, wear fluorescent/reflective clothing during the day and evening to improve their chances of being seen, keeping dipped headlights on during the day can also improve visibility.

Cyclists should have their front and rear lights lit, have red rear reflectors and amber pedal reflectors, and have white front reflectors and spoke reflectors. They should also wear bright, fluorescent and reflective clothing.

“With the evenings drawing in and the clocks going back, children find themselves travelling to and from school in poor light,” said Coun Kevin Greaves, chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s transport and highways committee.

“Drivers have many things to concentrate on and unless children are very visible, they can easily merge into the background.

“Motorists should also ensure they can be seen by other road users and should put their lights on whenever the light is dim, or in bad weather.

“Whether you’re a pedestrian, rider or driver we can all play our part in helping to make sure Nottinghamshire’s roads are a safe place to be during these dark winter months.”