§ 4. Colonel DAYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of motorists fined for exceeding the speed limit and for driving to the danger of the public in the Metropolitan Police area for the 12 months to the last. convenient date, together with the number convicted and the number acquitted, and the gross amount of fines and the sentences imposed?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir William Joynson-Hicks)For the year ending 31st March last there were 13,924 convictions and 122 dismissals in cases of exceeding the speed limit; and 2,004 convictions and 339 dismissals in cases of dangerous driving. I am unable to state the gross amount of fines or the sentences imposed and to obtain this information from the various Courts would involve an expenditure of time and labour that would not. in my opinion be justified.
§ Colonel DAYWhat happens to the fines that are imposed on motorists?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThey are dealt with according to law.
§ Colonel DAYWhere does that money go to?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe money is devoted as the Statute directs.
§ Mr. HAYESIs it not the fact that the fines do not go to the police who are concerned in the case?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSCertainly.
§ 7. Commander COCHRANEasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the speed of motor cars on the Great West Road; whether any steps have been taken in recent months by the police to stop this speed; and what steps he intends to take to enable the road to be reasonably used by His Majesty's subjects?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSMy attention has been devoted for some time past to the condition of affairs on the Great West Road and the urban district council of Brentford has more than once communicated with me upon the 1312 subject. Accordingly, the Commissioner of Police placed speed controls on the road, and during the last three months no less than 243 persons have been summoned for speeds varying from 30 miles to 62½ miles per hour.
In 79 cases there have been convictions and 164 cases are awaiting hearing. I may take this opportunity of giving a public intimation that, while the police, with my assent, do what they can to assist the use of the road by motor cars, speeds of anything like those mentioned are quite out of the question within the Metropolitan area, and I have given the Commissioner of Police instructions to take every step in his power to prevent such conduct, and I only trust that motorists will help me to see that the law is carried out.
§ Captain BRASSMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he thinks 30 miles an hour is an excessive speed on the Great West Road?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have been along that highway a good deal recently, and I have received many rather serious complaints of accidents resulting in injury and death. The feeling in the locality is very strong indeed as to the pace of motorists.
§ Sir FRANK MEYERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that the safety of the roads would be ensured better by employing the police at blind corners and cross-roads, rather than on perfectly open sections of the high road?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSA considerable number of police are employed at corners and at cross roads, and only the week before last I saw a policeman knocked over and seriously injured when he was attempting to moderate the traffic at cross roads.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIf motorists sounded a note of warning at cross roads, would not many of these accidents be avoided?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI think most motorists do that. I do not want to limit the use of this road in any way to motorists, but I ask them not to attempt such speeds as have been brought to my notice by the police.
Captain CROOKSHANKIs it not a fact that on the Great West Road a fort 1313 night ago the police were doing their best to hurry up the traffic, that there were police traps on at the same time, and that at least one Member of this House has been summonsed
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is becoming more of a general Debate.