Lighter mornings brought on by the clock change could make motorists speed, and changes in driver behaviour could impact fleets.

In 2017, longer days seemed to affect the speed at which commuters are driving according to RAM Tracking research. It found that this could have a negative impact on fleets’ business mileage and fuel costs

The speed league table below shows that Manchester commuters see the biggest change with an almost 6% increase in average speed.

RAM Tracking’s chief executive Chris McClellan said: "For businesses looking to plan for the year ahead and identify points of activity where costs can be cut, recognising the fact that there could be a collective extra fleet cost of almost £1,700 or £140 per month, as a result of the clocks going forward, is a must."

An increase of 1.5mph it would have a significant cost to businesses with a commercial fleet of 10 vehicles.

McClellan said: “We’ve long suspected that annual clock changing dynamics have a major impact on road speeds, but we never imagined that the cost associated with this could be so large.

"A cost of £140 a month for a business could be spent on insurance, training or vehicle trackers to ensure that recommendations about speed are followed and to better ensure driver safety and visibility.

"Businesses need to be aware that something as innocent as lighter mornings could harm not just their delivery times but their bottom line as well, so taking action now, as the time fast approaches, is highly advisable."

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