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SATISFACTORY RESULTS OF APPLIED MEASURES. diversity in the pattern of approved traffic signs.
Page 116
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As to lighting, which was not directly within his province, County Councils in 1934 were empowered to take over the responsibility of lighting from smaller authorities in their area. A Departmental Committee had laid down, as the standard to be provided, one capable of giving full visibility to a motorist travelling at 30 m.p.h. without headlights. He was in communication with the County Councils on the matter, and he accepted the views expressed about the advisabiliiy of adopting such a standard. • SINGLE CONTROLLING BODY.
As to the proposal to tranSfer control from the, numerous highway authorities to some single absolute body, there was the -inipOrtant consideration to be borne in-rnind that ottr present , system of leavingmuch responsibility, in local hands was ,rooteel in historic traditions, not easily to be supplanted, whilst • the financial readjustments, both of current. rates and taxes and of loan charges, already incurred, would present problems of
maze-like complexity. • It would not be proposed, he imagined, that highway authorities should be entirely relieved of their liability for roads which had a predominantly local use.
AN analysis was made of fatal accidents in 1933 and again last year. Arrangements had been made with the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland, as from the begin. fling of April next, for an analysis to be made not only of fatal, but of all road accidents involving either death or injury. This would be the most exhaustive analysis ever made in this • country. As the result of the remedies applied to four thoroughfares in London: the accidents on which were analysed last year, there was a decrease in -accidents, of 14.8 per cent., the fatalities having, fallen by 53.5 per cent., serious injuries by 32.4 per cent., and slight injuries by 10.6 per cent. The decrease in the accidents to pedestrians was.,even more striking ; in the case of fatalities it was 75 per cent., and of serious injuries 46.3 per cent. These figure's were in comparative periods of six months.
• Comparing a year (1933) in which there were no pedestrian crossings in London with the year (1935) in which they were laid down, there was a reductionin pedestrian fatalities of 24 per cent. and in pedestrian injuries of 12 per cent. Already, in the eight weeks of this year as compared with the corresponding period of last year, before they were adopted in the country as a whole, there was a reduction of 241. per cent, in pedestrian fatalities and 16 per cent, in pedestrian injuries.
The speed limit also had had a great effect in lessening the number of casualties. It was remarkable that the fall in these was more than twice as great in the city and town police areas, where the speed limit generally applied, as in the county police areas, where it did not generally apply.
The undoubted benefit of the institution of the driving tests had been to keep off the roads, at any rate temporarily, the 35,744 persons who failed to satisfy the examiners. They formed 15.2 per cent, of the 234,394 candidates who had submitted themselves since March 20, 1935.
The House was aware that 1935 was the first year since the war to show a reduction in the aggregate of killed and injured on the roads. Some 800 lives were saved-a reduction of nearly 11 per cent, as compared with the previous year-and there were 12,000 fewer injured-a reduction of 5 per cent. In 1936, so far-although he hesitated to be optimistic-the tendency had continued, and the reduction until February 22 was 19 per cent. in the killedand 8 per cent• in the injured.
He concluded with a word or two• about the, great responsibility, -that rested upon the police and magistrates.