Toronto Hydro reminds you to adjust your driving along with the clocks

Fall time change linked to higher incidents of pedestrian and traffic fatalities

TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Clocks are turning back this weekend to mark the end of Daylight Savings Time. With fewer daylight hours, Toronto Hydro is urging drivers to pay extra attention on the road and exercise caution around our crews.

There is an endless wave of construction work going on around the city and we have approximately 250 trucks on the road on any given day. Now that many Torontonians will be commuting to and from work in the dark, drivers and pedestrians should be on heightened alert.

Studies show traffic and pedestrian fatalities increase in the weeks following the fall time change. If you see Toronto Hydro crews working on city streets, slow down, pay attention and stay a safe distance away from workers who are working around dangerous equipment. Respect the orange cones that denote safe distances between road traffic and crews, and watch out for cyclists and pedestrians that may be rerouting around our trucks.

QUICK FACTS

• Drivers are encouraged to stay safe by:
  • Obeying speed limits
  • Being alert of their surroundings, including pedestrians, cyclists and road workers
  • Avoiding distractions while driving, including eating or using your phone
  • Slowing down during inclement weather; leaves on the road can cause vehicles to slide
  • Ensuring headlights, brake lights and signals are working.  Headlights should be turned on at dusk
• Pedestrians are encouraged to stay safe by:
  • Using extra caution while crossing roads
  • Trying to make eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb
  • Waiting for vehicles to stop before crossing in front of them
  • Crossing at traffic signals, crosswalks and stop signs on busy roads

QUOTES

"We all know that the time change can throw off our internal clocks but we want to remind our customers that it can also affect people's driving. We're all sharing the road and we want drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to stay safe – especially at this time of year. "
- Tori Gass, Spokesperson, Toronto Hydro

ABOUT TORONTO HYDRO

Toronto Hydro owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 758,000 customers located in the city of Toronto. It is the largest municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes approximately 19% of the electricity consumed in the province of Ontario.

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SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation

Image with caption: "Clocks turn back an hour this weekend as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end. (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161104_C5881_PHOTO_EN_811232.jpg

Tori Gass, Communications and Public Relations, 416-903-4037, [email protected], 24-hour media line: 416-903-6845, [email protected]