§ 3.53 p.m.
§ EARL HOWE had the following question on the Paper: To ask His Majesty's Government what instructions are given to driving examiners; how many Ministry of Transport driving examiners have been sent on courses to police driving schools; the average percentage of marks obtained at the end of the course; the number who failed to satisfy the examiners that they were competent themselves to act as examiners, and the steps taken to ensure that they do not in fact become examiners.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name. I do so because, many years ago now, I was a member of the Public Safety Committee which was set up under the Ministry of Transport, just about the time that examinations 982 for drivers were first instituted. One of the points I endeavoured to make as a member of that Committee was that, as far as the usefulness of the examinations were concerned, everything depended upon the instructions given to examiners. I am sure it has been the frequent experience of many members of your Lordships' House to see the type of driver who 'holds out his hand, like the taxi driver in London, or who puts out an arrow—a trafficator—and without any more ado, without looking to see what is happening on the rest of the road, simply starts to make his turn. What I want to know is whether in examining the various, applicants for driving licences, the examiners insist on the applicants using their mirrors to satisfy themselves that somebody is not overtaking them at the precise moment when they begin their manœuvre. That is one point.
§ Then with regard to position on the road, in these days of congested traffic—the sort of conditions that were referred to so ably by the noble Lord, Lord Strabolgi—if our crowded roads are to be used with safety by all road users alike it is essential, to use the words of the Government, that there should be "fair shares"—that there should be ample room for all. At the present time many of the roads in our country are 30 ft. roads, and they are often divided into three 10-ft. widths, delineated by white lines along the road. If any of your Lordships would care to go along such a road as Western Avenue and watch the traffic, you would see a lot of small cars, no matter what the traffic conditions were, straddling the near-side white line instead of keeping to the left of it, thus creating a very dangerous condition indeed. If they happen to meet another vehicle doing the same thing and if there is another car trying to overtake in one direction or the other, it is quite obvious that there is the risk of a severe accident occuring. Are any instructions given to the examiners to be particularly careful to note the sort of position that the applicant for the driving licence takes up on the road? Are they asked to note whether he goes steadily, like a chicken, down a line in the road, or whether he keeps, as he should do, as close to the near side as is reasonably practicable and safe, having regard to all other considerations?
983§ Your Lordships will no doubt have noticed many drivers—and I do not exempt Service drivers—who, when they are going to turn to the left, start the manœuvre by turning first of all to the right, and any vehicle coming along behind imagines they are going to turn somewhere to the right or to pull over to the offside of the road. But not at all; when the driver of the vehicle behind is wondering whether he had better go by under the stern of the vehicle in front, he finds the driver ahead sometimes turns right across his bows and goes over to the left. Alternatively, it may be a turn to the right, in which case the driver—and this is a much more dangerous manœuvre—turns first of all to the left. Naturally the driver of the car behind thinks he is going to stop on the near side of the road and accordingly starts to pass him, but suddenly the car in front turns across him, and a position of danger is created at once.
§ How far are points of that kind covered by the instructions to examiners? We were told on the Committee on which I sat that everything depended upon the instructions to examiners and that all these points would be covered. For all I know, they may have been covered, but there is no obvious evidence of it yet. In these days it is very often the fashion for various people, motor drivers and the like, to blame everybody except themselves, but the motor vehicle world ought to set its own house in order. I am sure I shall take all your Lordships with me in that and I am perfectly certain that every reasonable motorist agrees. So long as points of this sort are covered by the instructions of the examiners and the examiners insist on them when they are conducting their tests, I am perfectly certain they can do quite a lot to improve the general standard of behaviour on the road. I hope His Majesty's Government will be able to give me an answer.
§ 3.58 p.m.
§ LORD WALKDENMy Lords, I am rather afraid that my answer will be, at any rate should be, restricted to the terms of the question which the noble Earl entered on the Order Paper. He has made a circuitous run right round that question and has expanded it somewhat. Perhaps I might inform him, as he has probably been away recently, that the 984 whole question of road safety, operation on the roads and so forth, is, we hope, to be debated some time this month, in the new Session of Parliament. We shall then have a better chance of going into all those points with which I am not really prepared to deal this afternoon.
I think I might say broadly that all the queer vagaries of motorists, mostly inexperienced, to which the noble Lord has referred, are covered in the regulations he has in mind. I am sorry he is not now on the Road Traffic Advisory Committee which has dealt with these matters recently. The regulations are ample, and they are going to be carried into operation. The noble Earl will know, of course, that testing was restarted as recently as November 1. We have had great difficulty in getting the staff together to do the work. We have obtained quite a good number of men who were in the Forces, men who were examiners and drivers before, and we are likely to add to their number appreciably in the near future.
The instructions given to examiners are based on the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations, 1937. I should imagine that is what the noble Lord was referring to. It is a ten-page document which he can easily obtain, and it would give him very full information in that regard. These regulations are designed to secure a uniform test and a uniform standard of competence for the purpose of the issue of a pass certificate. One hundred and fifty-two driving examiners have completed a refresher course in the police driving schools and the remaining twenty-five are taking their course now. These courses are not intended as driving tests, and no marks are awarded. They are designed solely to enable examiners—all of whom are experienced drivers and trained examiners—to refresh their knowledge of driving which may have grown stale owing to lack of practice during the war, and for them to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the police instructors who are, of course, highly competent and very experienced. Additional driving examiners will be appointed in the near future. Any confirmation of their appointments will depend inter alia on a satisfactory completion of a driving course at a police driving school. They will have to be thoroughly competent in driving and in 985 all the qualifications necessary in respect to the issue of a licence. I am afraid I cannot add to that at the present moment.
§ EARL HOWEMay I ask whether there are any figures with regard to failures, people who are rejects and people who do not prove suitable?
§ LORD WALKDENThere are no failures in the three groups to which I have referred. Those who have gone through the course are all competent. They were examiners before, and they are refreshing their driving knowledge. The twenty-five who are now passing through the course are fully qualified, but there will be further men to come and they will be very carefully tested. We will certainly take the utmost precautions to see that none become examiners who are not competent.
§ THE EARL OF IDDESLEIGHMay I ask whether competence in that sense includes knowledge of the recently revised Highway Code?
§ LORD WALKDENYes, the new edition of the Highway Code is the foundation of the knowledge that the examiner must have. He must also see, to it that all applicants for licences have themselves absorbed that knowledge.
LORD GIFFORDIf the police examiner thinks that a man is obviously unsuitable to act as an examiner, would not that be taken into account?
§ LORD WALKDENIf he is found unsuitable he will not be appointed.