23. Mr. WESTasked the Minister of Transport how many cyclists are killed annually; what proportion are killed during daylight hours; and how many of those killed during the hours of darkness carried a rear light?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Hore-Belisha)I regret that the number of pedal cyclists killed annually on the roads has increased considerably during recent years from 691 in 1928 to 1,354 in 1933. The report on fatal road accidents during 1933 issued by my Department gives detailed analyses of fatal accidents to 1,324 pedal cyclists, of whom 70 per cent. were killed during the hours of daylight. Of the 397 cyclists who died as a result of accidents during the hours of dusk or darkness, 11 were reported to be carrying a red rear light.
Mr. WESTSeeing that only a minority of the cyclists are killed in the hours of darkness and that a great many of those who are killed are killed in head-on collisions, is it not clear to the hon. Gentleman that the provision or absence of rear lights is of very minor importance in casualties to cyclists?
§ Captain STRICKLANDIs it not a fact that the roads are far less used by cyclists at night and that that would account for the larger proportion of accidents by day?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI think I answered the hon. Gentleman's question. Of the 397 cyclists who died as a result of accidents at night, 11 were reported to be carrying a rear light.
Mr. WESTHas not the Minister understood the second part of my question, which was that of those 397 the great majority were killed in head-on collisions, and how could rear lights be of any use in those cases?
Lieut.-Colonel C. MacANDREWWhy should the cyclists object to carrying rear lights, when it is entirely for their own safety?