§ 72. Sir W. DAVISONasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the method adopted by the municipal authorities of Mannheim, to make pedestrians realise the risks they incur by carelessness in crossing thoroughfares by marking with a black cross on the street the spots where any pedestrian was killed or severely injured; and whether he will consider the desirability of taking similar action in the Metropolitan Police area?
§ Mr. PYBUSI am aware that action of this kind has been taken by certain authorities abroad, but I doubt whether public opinion in this country would be in favour of it. In any case I have no statutory power to impose any such obligation on highway authorities.
§ Sir W. DAVISONDoes not the hon. Gentleman think that some such proposal as indicated in the question would be likely to startle pedestrians, motorists and the public out of their pathetic apathy with regard to the terrible death roll in our roads and streets amounting, I believe, to 6,000 fatal accidents in the year?
§ Mr. PYBUSI have noted the hon. Gentleman's observations, but I do not feel justified in adopting his suggestion.
§ Mr. LUNNIn view of the many people who are being killed by motorists would it not soon be impossible to distinguish the black mark from the white if this method were adopted?