DRIVERS BLAMED
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For Accidents
Discussions at the Annual Congress of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Tended to Underestimate the Part Played, by the Pedestrian in Road Accidents, Drive Next Year to Reduce Child Mortality
UNDUE emphasis on drivers' responsibilities for road accidents was evident at the 1949 National Safety Congress, held in London last week. In discussions ranging over many topics the dominant note was to restrict and further regulate the activities of the driver.
The president, Lord Llewellin, revealed himself to be better informed than most of the speakers from the floor, When he called for more care, courtesy and toleration. to reduce accidents. He declared that it was wrong to try to shift the blame for accidents on to the other fellow. His call found no echo in the proceedings of the congress, in which the part played by motor drivers was consistently over-emphasized and the activities of uncontrolled pedestrians were regarded as being sacrosanct. .
In greeting the 1,000 delegates who attended the opening of.' the congress, Lord Llewellin said that the need was for better " roadmanship." In 1930 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents would make a determined effort to reduce child mortality onthe roads. A national Child Safety Week would be held, and would be known as "Operation Piccaninny."
Heavier Penalties
In the 1949 road safety forum, a feature of the congress, the first proposal called for a reconsideration of penalties for road offences. An emphatic demand for sterner punishment was made by Bailie Alex. Clark, of Ayrshire, who advocated the confiscation of motor vehicles involVecl in cases of reckless and dangerous driving. Despite a warning from the Home Office representative, Mr. J. H. Burrell, that fixed tariffs for offences were not possible, and that the severity of punishment rested with the magistrates, the delegate voted for the proposal by a large majofity.
Another proposal called for physical tests for applicants for driving licences. An unrealistic attitude towards this question was introduced by some speakers, who tried to use a railway analogy—forgetting that the railways have no pedestrians to contend with. The motion was lost.
Two proposals dealt with the lighting of roads and the rear of vehicles. The first made a demand for street lighting of uniform intensity, and the second for rear lights at least 2 ins, in diameter. Expert opinion, expressed by Ministerial, police and engineering repre
sentatives, attempted to tidy up the resolutions, both of which were caroled.
Mysterious, sloppy, half-hearted signals" given by some drivers, produced a resolution from the chief constable of Caernarvonshire, demanding efficient and properly illuminated direction indicators on all vehicles. Commercial vehicles came in for much criticism on this score, and the coach operators present and others pointed out the difficulties of maintaining such indicators.
Mr. A. E. N. Taylor (Ministry of Transport), replying to the discussion, revealed that a new design of signal for commercial vehicles had been evolved and was under test. The resolution was carried.
A proposal to prevent the free use of 8-ft.-wide vehicles was carried.
Another proposal which was carded, called for a safety device for public service vehicles. This revealed itself to
be a 'somewhat unpractical leather (or Balata) shield in front of the vehicle, effectively blocking the 10-in, ground clearance designed to permit the passage of prostrate bodies under The bus without. harm. The Ministry of Transport promised to test the device.
The last three proposals were once. more of limited practical value. The first concerned the improvement of the traffic-sign situation and was carried, as was the second, which, whilst it dealt with the problem of providing parking places, developed in the end to a discussion on who was to pay for them. A suggestion that coach and bus stations should be built to provide parking for larger as well as for smaller vehicles, came from the floor.
The growing international importance of road safety measures was stressed by the speaker in the first road safety session on October 4.
In his "Review of Road Safety Measures in Other Countries," the speaker, Sir Howard Roberts, clerk to the London County Council, and honorary solicitor to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, pre-. sented a digest of the replies given by member countries to a questionnaire, based on British organization, sent out by the International Union of Local Authorities. The conclusion drawn by Sir Howard was that all the countries concerned were convinced of the importance of road safety. Propaganda and education, he said, made an important contribution in reducing accidents.
The general accident trend observed throughout the world,. however, was downward. In Britain in 1938 one person in every 200 of the population was hurt in a road accident. In 1948. this figure was reduced to one in 320, although the population had increased by 5 per cent., and 20 per cent. more vehicles were now on the road.
An interesting feature of the replies is the wide variation in traffic controlling authorities. In Belgium, for example, there is no special national authority concerned with road safety, likewise in Eire; driving licences are issued on application and no tests of any kind are required. In Switzerland, on the other hand, the names and addresses of persons convicted of driving offences are published in the local Press.
Millions Per Annum
The most alarming aspect of the replies concerned the total costs of road accidents to the various communities said Sir Howard. In Britain this has been estimated at £100,000.000 per annum, whilst 'in the United States, motor accidents cost the country £657,976,397 a year. Apart from this, Britain, Canada and the United States maintained road research laboratories, and other States had smaller establishments of this kind.
The value of educational schemes, incentives to drivers, propaganda and the importance of enforcing traffic la's appears to be widely understood throughout the world. Some of the countries' concerned, however, seem to take a somewhat negligent attitude, IV leaving •these matters to local autho(ities. The largest countries are not alone in understanding the national need to reduce accidents.
The second road-safety session listened to an authoritative lecture on "Physical Disabilities, Including Alcoholism, Detriment to Safe Driving." This was presented by Dr. J. A. Gorsky, a barrister and lecturer, in forensic medicine, and in it he attempted to assess the true effect of physical disabilities and alcohol, or combinations of these factors, on road accidents.
Drivers' Disabilities
Having first discussed public apathy to accidents on the roads, Dr. Gorsky turned 'to a discussion of the legal aspect of disability. The regulations regarding the issuing of licences and the driving test were discussed, and attention turned on the physical defects detrimental to safe driving. An analysis was presented of the causes of 36,222 accidents which occurred in the early part of 1949, and it was seen that a high proportion resulted from drunkenness and physical defects.
Visual defects, such as poor acuity, high susceptibility to glare, poor depth perception and poor stereoscopic vision had a vital influence on accidents, Dr. Gorsky added. Certain psychological factors, too, had to be considered, apart from actual physical defects, such as heart or nervous trouble. Some drivers had a type of personality that made them inherently unsafe. They might for example, have a tendency to rapid changes of mood; such instability caused them to be careless.
Discussing the proneness to accident of drivers suffering from orthopedic defects, such as loss of a limb, the speaker listed the conditions under which the disability might become dangerous.
Alcohol and the driver formed the final part of Dr. Gorsky's paper. The physical effect of alcohol was first considered, and the methods of testing for drunkenness discussed. It was pointed out that experiments had revealed that drivers invariably considered that they drive better when under the influence of alcohol.
With regard to speed, he declared that human adjustment to the increasing tempo of life had been in step with the increase, but the human factor was much more the cause of accidents than mechanical failure.
Third, and last, of the road-safety sessions took place on October 6, when the "lessons of the pedestrian-crossing week" were discussed. Speakers from all parts of the United Kingdom reported on the success or otherwise of the week in their regions. The majority of road-safety committees took part in the pedestrian-crossing campaign.
A wide variety of activities was organized and road users of every kind were approached by some means or other. lit the main, " stunts " had only a limited success. Churches, schools, and industry co-operated in every way, and the police offered advice and assistance in all parts of the country. The use of police loudspeaker cars at pedestrian crossings was particularly successful.
Comment on the pedestrian crossings themselves was invoked in a number of towns. Criticism was levelled at the inability to see them at night, and their lack of distinguishing features by day. The stencilled-footprint idea had been successful, but speakers considered that the " zebra " crossing was a great improvement.
An interesting suggestion on this subject by the police was that all markings should be on the road surface itself, rather than on the kerb.