Today I want to continue our look at what life was like during the Second World War blackout, and this time I want to talk about something that affected people every single night, that was accidents caused by the dark. We usually think of blackouts as offering some protection from enemy bombers, and of course that was its main purpose, but it also created dangers of its own. For many people, the blackout was frightening even when there weren’t any air raids.
The blackout restrictions began on the 1st of September 1939. In some areas, you could barely see a few feet in front of you. Roads suddenly became hazardous.
One of the biggest dangers was road accidents. Drivers struggled to see pedestrians, cyclists, and even other vehicles. Car headlights were fitted with special covers that left only narrow slits of light, which helped hide the vehicles from enemy aircraft but also made it much harder to drive. Buses and lorries could sometimes appear almost out of nowhere.
People also walked into lamp posts, tripped over kerbs, missed steps, and fell into ditches or open roadwork’s. Elderly people were especially vulnerable. Many were already struggling with mobility, and the darkness made simple journeys even more dangerous. Children could sometimes become disoriented and frightened.
The numbers of accidents were shocking. In the early months of the blackout, accidents rose dramatically. Some estimates suggest around 4,000 people were killed in blackout-related road accidents during the first year of the war, with many thousands more injured. For something that was designed to help protect Britain, this was a tragic consequence.
There were many recorded examples of these accidents. In London, people regularly fell from underground station staircases because they could not properly judge the steps in the dim lighting. Cyclists were frequently hit by drivers because they could barely see them. There were also reports of people walking straight into canals, rivers, and building materials left near roads. In one incident, a pedestrian walked into the path of a bus after misjudging the edge of the road.
The government soon realised that something had to be done. One safety measure was painting white lines or white edges on kerbs, steps, bollards, and railings to make them easier to see. This simple idea helped many people in the low light.
Safety advice appeared in newspapers, posters, leaflets, and radio broadcasts. People also adapted in smaller personal ways. Many people started to carry torches, though they had to use them carefully so they did not break blackout rules. Some people attached small luminous strips or reflective material to coats, hats, prams, bicycles, and even dogs’ collars so they could be seen more easily. White scarves and armbands became surprisingly useful.
Many people just avoided going out after dark unless absolutely necessary. If they did go out, they would walked more slowly and stayed close to walls or railings. Some people linked arms with the people they were with for added safety. Elderly people often had to rely heavily on other people to guide them home.
Wardens also helped where they could. Air Raid Precautions wardens did not just check for light leaks. They also helped to guide people, gave warnings about hazards, and tried to keep the streets safer. But accidents remained a constant worry.
People feared the bombs, but many also feared the walk home through the dark.
As with so much during the war, people adapted. They learned to watch out for one another, and found other ways to cope with conditions that must have seemed impossible at first.
Do you think the darkness would have made life more difficult for you?
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