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Parliament Debates Road Accidents
Page 115
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Resolution to Achieve a Further Reduction. MinisterSurnrnarizes the Present Position
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent FOR three and a half hours the House of Commons debated the question of road accidents on the following resolution moved by Mr. C. S. Taylor, which was afterwards agreed to
"That this House, while welcoming the substantial reduction in road accidents which has resulted from recent action, urges upon His . Majesty's Government the importance of pressing forward all possible measures to achieve a still further reduction, and asks that a uniform policy of constructing, surfacing, maintaining, signalling, and lighting the principal roads should be progressively pursued."
BOUQUETS FOR THE MINISTER.
FROM the discussion many fresh comments and suggestions emerged, whilst the Minister of Transport gave an interesting review of the work of his department. There was a general admission that the present Minister had given great service in the cause of road safety, although much still remained to be done. The mover was supported by several other speakers in his criticism of the state of the roads and the unsuitability of the surfaces of many stretches.
He maintained that it was vitally important that instead of the local authorities having the last word in the construction and maintenance of roads a central authority should have control with power to enforce uni formity , of construction. This end could be attained either by setting up a central highways board or by giving more power to the Minister. In the short distance of 110 miles between London and Birmingham there were 28 different types of road surface.
Other aids to the diminution of accidents which he submitted were the abolition of tramcars and tramway line; the infliction of the severest penalties on the drunken motorist, periodical inspection of second-hand vehicles,. satisfactory. rear lighting of all vehicles, including cycles, greater use of films in schools to develop the road sense, and compulsory payment of the first £10 or £20• of damages in any major accident by the driver instead of the insurance company.
SPEED LIMITS OF GOODS VEHICLES.
h AR. SANDYS, the seconder of the 1V1inotion, advocated the constant reminding of the public, by poster or otherwise, of the rules of road behaviour in the Highway Code.
He asked the Minister to consider whether he could not, as far as possible, restrict the category of goods vehicles limited to 20 m.p.h., because, if one vehicle had to do this, partiallarly in a restricted area, where the streets were usually narrow, it necessarily involved the slowing down of other traffic or constant overtaking which eventually led to accidents. • He suggested that the Minister might include vehicles which" had similar chassis, pneumatic tyres and brakes, to those of private cars. He also touched upon the need for banking in new roads, 'and the improvement of signposts.
ALCOHOL SOMETIMES BENEFICIAL.
DR: SALTER dealt at length with the relationship of alcohol to motor accidents. Lieut.-Col. Moore-Brabazon remarked that, without any drink at all, the reaction time was greatly increased by very long periods of driving and consequent fatigue.
Ile drew attention to the fact that a wireless set was a most amazing means for keeping a person awake when driving long distances. In the case of lorry drivers, who were kept on the roads longer than was really good for them, a splendid way of keeping them alert would be to provide them with a wire
less set, • Mr. Salt said he believed that by the use of modern street lighting there could be a 10 per cent. saving in accidents. One advantage of properly lit main roads would be that some of the high peak loads now running during the • day time, would tend to run at night and consequently the roads would he capable, without widening, of carrying considerably heavier loads.
LORRY DRIVERS' HOURS.
THE plea for uniformity of conditions throughout Great Britain was supported by Mr. Benjamin Smith. With regard to the hours of lorry drivers, he thought the Minister would agree with him that no lorry driver was ever challenged as to his hours on the road, and it was only when an accident occurred and the man, in sheer self-defence, said " This is what comes of working too long hours," that he, and never his employer, was hauled
before the Courts. He asked the Minister seriously to consider placing enough people on the roads to enforce the hours laid down under the Statute on the employers, and, if necessary, the employees.
450 NEW VEHICLES DAILY.
I N replying to the debate, Mr. Hore Belisha said the numbers of motor vehicles on the roads in 1935 increased progressively at an average rate of about 450 a day, and the addition still continued. This was the most densely vehicled country in the world. Schemes submitted under. the Fiveyear Programme were now of a gross value of £130,000,000. About 70 per cent, of the actual expenditure on approved schemes would fall on the Road Fund, which would continue to meet its normal liabilities for maintenance, . block grant and other miscellaneous services, amounting to about £17,000,000 a year.
Its first instalment—works approved for commencement in the current financial year—was estimated to cost £22,500,000, 34 times the figure at the corresponding period of last year.
ME LAYOUT OF ROADS.
WITH a view to obtaining the most VV up-to-date ideas on the proper layout of roads within the standard width, representative engineers and surveyors were called into consultation with officers of his Department. From their recommendations they extracted, for the guidance of all concerned, the formula.: to be followed in the carrying out of the rive-year Programme. .
They took as their_ unit of width for each line of traffic a minimum of 10 ft. The number of traffic lanes required would be determined by the: flow of traffic, and where this amounted to 400 vehicles at the peak hour, more than two traffic lanes would be necessary and a dual carriageway should be provided.
From this basis they proceeded to build up, according to requirements, a road containing, in addition to the feature just described and to the in dispensable footpaths, separate accommodation for cyclists, and horse riders, and with space for margins with •trees and shrubs, and communicating with service roads outside the standard widths. Proposals had been made by highway authorities tinder the Fiveyear Programme for 230 miles of cycle tracks and 750 miles of dual carriageways. A uniform policy of construction was being pursued.
SURFACING AND LIGHTING.
IT would, he hoped, be generally admitted that our roads were maintained in a high degree of efficiency. The 'qualities of the surfacing were another matter. Here it would be undesirable to insist on uniformity until they were sure that they had obtained the right prescription. The officers of the department worked in the closest conjunction with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on which expenditure out of the Road Fund of the order of £50,000 was annually incurred.
Just as the nuisance of dust had been universally abated, so had investigations been directed to the avoidance of skidding. Recently a new type of thin carpet, which seemed to meet the case and which it was contemplated would last for several years without further treatment, had' been introduced.
The law did not now permit any c63