WITH more people being killed on our roads in October and November than any other time of the year, road safety officers across the county are upping their plea for drivers everywhere to take care.

The end of British Summer Time last weekend not only signalled the onset of dark evenings through the winter. It also marks the start of one of the most dangerous periods on the roads for drivers.

For the first time in some seven months, motorists were this week faced with the prospect of driving home from work in the dark.

And this, combined with wet roads and deteriorating weather conditions, can prove a lethal combination.

Statistics have revealed the number of people killed on Great Britain's roads has seen a dramatic increase between October and November for the second year running.

And the trend is not confined to the UK, with figures from the German government revealing that the number of accidents per kilometre driven more than doubles during the hours of darkness.

The news has now prompted the RAC Foundation to appeal to government, local authorities and drivers to pay their part in cutting the death toll.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "It is impossible to overestimate the importance of good light during the hours of darkness.

"The many advances in road and vehicle safety are of no value unless drivers can see where they are going and other road users can see the vehicle properly."

According to The Safer Roads for Cumbria partnership, set up to improve road safety across the county, drivers in Cumbria are 33 per cent more likely to have an accident between the hours of 7am and 9am in winter.

County Coun Geoff Hodgson, spokesman for community safety, said the message to residents across the county was simple; be safe and be seen.

"As the nights become darker earlier than we are used to, motorists need to watch their speed and be aware that they are less likely to see vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.

"We are therefore urging all road users to make sure they are visible by checking their lights are working if driving and wearing bright or reflective clothing if walking or cycling."

RAC WINTER SAFETY CHECK...

Check that lights are working properly. A check of all lights takes no more than two minutes.

Replace any faulty lights.

Standard halogen headlamp bulbs lose their brightness over time and should be replaced at three yearly (around 700 hours usage) intervals with good quality branded replacements.

If buying a new car, consider specifying xenon (bi-polar) headlamps. The increased cost will be more than offset by improvements in driver vision and durability, typically three or four times the life of standard halogen lights.