Personally I am TOTALLY in favour of the proposal to have British Summer Time through the winter (YES I know that sounds as if I am taking the rise, But I'm not). I do believe that there are more accidents caused by people trying to drive in half-light conditions, when pedestrians and unlit cars are more difficult to see. If it is properly dark on a morning, people turn on their headlights, and they can be seen and avoided.
As for children and going to school. In the 1970's children were by and large unaccompanied when going to school. Since then there are two major new factors. One is that we are so concerned for their safey in the light of abductions and dodgy characters that we do not dare to let them go unattended. The other is the fact that parents who also work seldom have an option other than to drop them off by car.

Other thoughts...

In Winter one of the greatest causes of flat car batteries is starting out to work in darkness, but arriving just after daylight has set in. That is the time when you park up and don't realise your lights are on and then at home time return to a dead car.
Turn the clocks so that it is dark until after the main population is in work and we might have transport which will get us home in time to enjoy any remaining daylight.

I once worked in a job as a motorcycle patrol around public parks in Bradford. For most of the year the hours of the job were counted backwards from dusk (i.e. we finished at sundown). That was the most depressing job I have ever done as there was NEVER any day/daylight left at the finish of a working day.
One of the reasons we get depressed during Winter is because there is no day left to enjoy by the time we finally finish work. I personally couldn't care less what it's like outside whilst I am working. I would like to have the nice time when I can enjoy it.

More asides...

In Summer I get woken at dreadful times such as 4 AM just because it is daylight and the birds won't shut up. I would rather have my summer evenings going on later so that I can enjoy them. It is lovely to sit outside a pub until closing time and still be in sunshine. Currently we can perhaps manage this for during a couple of weeks near Midsummer. Wouldn't it be nice to extend the opportunity?

One Summer I worked for the Parks Department, planting flower beds, weeding them and such jobs. We started at 7 AM when the rest of the council started at 9 AM.
I could never understand why. There wasn't a task done during the whole of the day which could not have been done two hours later than the time we did them.

Must go to collect children from school.
I'll finish my rant later.
Quack!
Geoff.