The Road Traffic Bill
Page 46
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A Safety-first Measure Amending the Road Traffic Act, 193o, and Section 34 of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, /933 GENERAL SPEED LIMIT: A general speed limit of 30 m.p.h. is instituted for built-up areas. For this purpose, a road shall be cieerned to be in a built-up area if a system of street lighting be maintained.
A direction that a road shall be deemed not to be in a built-up area, or that it shall be deemed to be so, even if a system of lighting be not provided, may be given (a) as regards any road elsewhere than in the London Traffic Area by an order made by the local authority after consultation with the Police and with the Minister's consent; (b) in respect of any road in the London Traffic Area by an .order made after consultation with the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
The authority must cause the correct traffic signs indicating the effect of such direction to be placed on or near the road affected.
The imposition of a speed limit on motor vehicles will not apply to any vehicle On an occasion when it is being used for fire-brigade., ambulance or police purposes.
Endorsements on Licences.
PENALTIES: A person convicted of driving a motor vehicle at above the limit imposed may have his licence endorsed, and for the first or second conviction the disqualification of his licence must not be longer than one month and three months respectively.
DRIVING TESTS: No licence to drive will be granted unless the applicant shows that he has either (a) already passed the prescribed test of competence to drive, or (b) at some time before April 1, 1934, held a driver's licence authorizing him to .drive vehicles of the same class.
Provisional licences will be issued for use while learning.
If a person be convicted of reckless or dangerous driving he may be disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence until he has passed a test following. the disqualification. Such a person who is not entirely disqualified from driving is entitled to obtain a provisional licence and to drive a motor vehicle in accordance with the conditions under which 6uch a licence is granted. .
The Minister_ may make regulations providing (a) that a person submitting himself for teit must provide a vehicle for the purpose; (b) that the person tested must pay to the conductor of the test such fee (not exceeding 10s.) as may be specified.
CONTROL OF HORN BLOWING: The power conferred on the Minister to make regulations regarding the use of appliances for signalling the approach of a vehicle are extended to the making of regulations in respect of the signalling by sound at different tithes of day or night or in respect of roads in different localities.
REMOVING INSURANCE ANOMALIES: Part II of the Bill deals with amendments as to insurance against thirdparty risks. The matter is somewhat too complicated to digest, but, in brief, it is intended to cover certain failures of the previous scheme of insurance, such as the voiding of the policy because of the non-disclosure of some fact.
• The present remedy for the aggrieved person in such a case is only by suing the insurer, who, in turn, sues the insurance company. Now the insurance company will have to apply direct to the Court in order to void a policy, and the non-discIoSure must be really material.
A clause enables the insurer to recover from the person insured if he has had to pay to a third party, as a result of the operation of the clause, more than he would otherwise have had to pay under the policy. At present. an action brought by an injured person against a negligent driver is voided in the, event of the latter's bankruptcy or death, and this is to be rectified.
SAFETY-FIRST PROVISIONS: Part III deals with what may be termed the road safety-first provisions. Bicycles B28 may be ordered to exhibit a white surface of specific dimensions as well as a reflector. It will become an offence to sell reflectors not complying with the conditions.
Crossings for foot passengers may be established on roads, and the Minister may make regulations with respect to the precedence of vehicles and foot passengers, tespectively, at and in the vicinity of a crossing.
Persons contravening the regulations of crossings, including pedestrians, may be fined.
CLASSES OF PUBLIC SERVICE VERWLE : Part IV concerns public service vehicles and licences for drivers of goods vehicles.
Public service vehicles will, instead of. being-divided into three classes, fall into two: (a) stage carriages carrying passengers for hire or reward at separate fares, and (b) contract carriages as defined under Section 61 of the principal Act,
LICENCES FOR EXCURSIONS: It Will no longer be obligatory on the Commissioners to hold public sittings for services which will not be of greater frequency than six in any period of 12 months.
LICENCES FOR CORRIDOR AREAS: The need for the backing of licences for road services in corridor areas will he done away with.
• GOOD 5VEHICLE-DRIVERS LICENCES: In addition to an ordinary driving licence a person wishing to drive a heavy goods vehicle must obtain a special licence from the Traffic Commissioners, This will last for three years. He must also pass a test as to his ability to drive such a vehicle before the licence is obtained unless he can show that he was in the habit of driving one for periods of, or amounting in the aggregate to, six months during the year ended April 1, 1934.
New Commercial-vehicle Speed Limits.
Of the three schedules, the first is the most interesting and important. It concerns the new limits of speed for the various classes of vehicle. They are as follow:— • PASSENGER VEHICLES: (1) Heavy motorcar or one carrying more than seven passengers, on pneumatics, 30 m.p.h.; (2) not a heavy motorcar, carrying not more than seven passengers and drawing a two-wheeled trailer, all on pneumatics, 30 m.p.h.; (3) invalid carriages, 20 m.p.h.; (4) in any other case (except a vehicle adapted to carry not more than seven passengers and not drawing a trailer), all pneumatics, 20 m.p.h.
Goons VEHICLES: (1) When not drawing a trailer-----(a) motorcars and motorcycles on pneumatics, and (h) heavy motorcars on pneumatics to carry horses and their attendants, 30 m.p.h.; (c) motorcars, not all pneumatics, and heavy motorcars either on pneumatics or solids, 20 mph.
(2) When drawing a trailer (a) if all on pneumatics, or if the trailer be attached by partial superimposition (semitrailer), so that a substantial part of the weight is borne by the vehicle and all the wheels, both of the tractor portion and trailer, have solid tyres, 20 m.p.h.; (b) if all the wheels both of the drawing vehicle and trailer are not pneumaticsd 12 m.p.h.; (c) in other cases, 5 m.p.h.
(3) Locomotives and motor tractors: (1) heavy locomotives, 5 m.p.h.; (2) light locomotives—(a) when not drawing a trailer or not drawing more than two trailers, if all wheels of locomotive and trailer have soft (solid) tyres, 12 m.p.h.; (b) in any other case, 5 m.p.h.; (3) motor tractors—(a) when not drawing a. trailer and if fitted with pneumatic or solid tyres, 20 m.p.h.; (h) when drawing a trailer (i) if all wheels, both of tractor and trailer, have pneurnadcs, 20 m.p.h; (ii) if all the wheels of tractor and trailer have soft (solid) tyres, 12 m.p.h.; (c) in any other case 5 m.p.h,