Those deaths - and those of another 100 adults - could be prevented if the nation stuck with British Summer Time all the year round, according to the latest study.

Dr Jeremy Broughton, a research fellow at the Government’s Transport Research Laboratory, has completed studies based on three million accidents which, he says, revealed dark evenings on the roads are more dangerous than dark mornings.

The increase in fatal accidents in the evenings is thought to be due to children and drivers being less alert later in the day. Road-users are far more aware in the mornings.

Advocates of a permanent British Summer Time argue it will cut down on road deaths, save energy and give people more leisure time because evenings would remain lighter for longer, while putting businesses on the same time as European countries.

Opponents say not putting the clocks back would mean dawn in northern Scotland would be at 10am in mid-winter.