40. Captain BALFOURasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the difficulty to motorists in telling whether traffic lights are registering green, amber, or red when, in certain lights, the sun is shining straight on the glass colour faces; and whether he will consider an auxiliary arm indicator to work in conjunction with the lights, as is used in the United States of America, or some other means to overcome this difficulty?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAIf my hon. Friend will give me the location of any particular installation of signals where such difficulty arises, I will have the signals inspected at once.
Captain BALFOURIs the hon. Member aware that this difficulty can occur at any of the traffic lights under certain conditions in sunlight? Will he ride down the Great West Road about midday on a bright sunny day, and he will be unable to see whether the lights are registering amber, green or red, unless he stops the car?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThere are, unfortunately, difficulties in the way of the complete success of any system, but I do not think that the difficulty is as widespread as my hon. and gallant Friend thinks.
§ 48. Mr. SIMMONDSasked the Minister of Transport whether he will arrange for a suitable sign to be erected at all road junctions which are controlled by a police officer and cohere a free left turn is permitted?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAA special form of road marking is authorised for use where filtration is permitted, and, further, police normally indicate to drivers where a left-hand turn is permitted. If my hon. Friend has any particular junctions in mind and will let me know of them, I will at once have further inquiries made.
§ Mr. SIMMONDSWill the Minister bear in mind that where there are traffic lights there is always an arrow pointing to the left, but that where police officers are standing on duty motorists do not realise that a free left is still open, and block the highway.