§ 26. Mr. BECKETTasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the increasing danger of the roads due to dangerous driving; and whether he has considered, or will consider, the desirability of instituting a road patrol system to check driving of this character?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe Royal Commission on Transport in their first Report drew attention to the increase in road accidents. The duty of detecting offences in relation to dangerous driving, which is of course one of the contributory causes of the increase, rests on chief officers of police; motor road patrols are in fact used in some police districts for detecting motoring offences, though not, I think, to the extent they might be, and while chief officers of police must be left with a wide discretion to use the measures which they consider best adapted to their purpose, I am giving the whole question my further consideration.
§ Mr. BECKETTWill the right hon. Gentleman point out to chief officers of police that it is very much more important that their constables should watch dangerous parts of the road, than that they should waste their time on 1224 wide straight roads with no turnings, trying to catch people who are travelling at 21 miles an hour?
§ Mr. CLYNESThat is a point of argument and does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. TOOLEIs the right hon. Gentle man aware that there is such a thing as pedestrians walking to the danger of the public?