§ 58. Mr. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Transport the number of accidents on the roads of Lancashire during the years 1930, 1932, and 1935, giving separate figures for fatal and non-fatal cases; and also the same information for Wigan, Preston, Bolton, and Oldham, giving separate figures for each?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures required.
§ Following is the information:
§ The number of fatal and non-fatal accidents on the roads in the police districts of Wigan, Preston, Bolton and Oldham and in all police districts in Lancashire, respectively, in the years 1930, 1932 and 1935, were as follow:
| Fatal Accidents. | Non-fatal Accidents. | |
| Wigan. | ||
| 1930 | 11 | 151 |
| 1932 | 6 | 215 |
| 1935 | 6 | 262 |
| Preston. | ||
| 1930 | 17 | 369 |
| 1932 | 11 | 499 |
| 1935 | 7 | 450 |
| Bolton. | ||
| 1930 | 32 | 445 |
| 1932 | 21 | 614 |
| 1935 | 21 | 677 |
| Oldham. | ||
| 1930 | 13 | 237 |
| 1932 | 12 | 267 |
| 1935 | 18 | 285 |
| Lancashire. | ||
| 1930 | 679 | 14,788 |
| 1932 | 593 | 18,435 |
| 1935 | 577 | 18,346 |
§ 60. Mr. GRANVILLEasked the Minister of Transport whether he is now in a position to state when the reports of the Inter-Departmental Committees on road safety among school children will be published?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHA24th April is the proposed date.
§ 62. Mr. KEELINGasked the Minister of Transport whether he has issued or will issue any instructions or formula for the guidance of road surveyors in design-Sing the super-elevation of road curves, the provision of which is recommended to highway authorities in his memorandum on public safety dated 6th February, 1934, or what other provision is made to ensure that roads are suitably banked at corners and bends?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAYes, Sir, the memorandum to which my hon. Friend refers is being revised and will shortly be re-issued.
§ 64 Mr. ANSTRUTHER GRAYasked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he can state from statistics of the last two years which are the three most dangerous spots in London and the number of accidents that have occurred at each during that period;
(2) whether he can state from statistics of the last two years which are the three most dangerous spots in rural Scotland and the number of accidents that have occurred at each during that period;
(3) whether he can state from statistics of the last two years which are the three most dangerous spots in Glasgow and the number of accidents that have occurred at each during that period?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAWith my hon. Friend's permission, I will circulate the information desired in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYCan my right hon. Friend give us an assurance that in each of these cases steps have been taken to make the places less dangerous?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAYes, Sir, and in most instances with good results.
§ Following is the information:
§ The following statement shows certain streets in London and Glasgow in which 2774 road accidents involving personal injury have been particularly numerous. Information regarding accidents in the rural areas of Scotland cannot readily be given in this form:
| Six months ended 30th September. | ||
| London. | ||
| Sections of— | 1934. | 1935. |
| Commercial Road and East India Dock Road. | 236 | 251 |
| Lewisham High Road and Eltham Road. | 158 | 155 |
| Chiswick High Road and King Street. | 194 | 121 |
| Glasgow. | 1934. | 1935. |
| Dumbarton Road, from Church Street to Balshagray Avenue. | 121 | 128 |
| Paisley Road and Paisley Road West, from Morrison Street to Lorne Street. | 92 | 97 |
| Garscube Road, from Burnside Street to Possil Road. | 47 | 61 |
§ 69. Sir PATRICK HANNONasked the Minister of Transport whether he has under consideration the extension of the use of the invisible ray in the regulation of traffic upon the highways of the country; whether the experiment which he has commended in the installation of this device at Morden is to be introduced in other localities; and whether he is calling the attention of highway authorities to the possibilities of the use of the invisible ray in the reduction of casualties upon the road?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe application of the photo-electric ray to traffic light signals at Morden is an experiment, and the advisability of extending it will depend on its results.
§ Sir P. HANNONWill my right hon. Friend consider having a, similar experiment in the neighbourhood of Birmingham?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMost willingly, if the city council will make an application.
§ 72. Sir ALFRED BEITasked the Minister of Transport whether he will arrange for fuller publicity to be given regarding the ages and physical defects, if 'any, of the victims of road accidents?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAYes, Sir. The ages of persons killed and any physical defects from which they suffered, so far as they were considered to have been a cause of the accidents, will be shown in the Report on Fatal Accidents on the roads during 1935, which will be issued shortly. Similar particulars will be available in the reports on road accidents involving personal injury which are being obtained from the beginning of this month.
§ 73. Captain STRICKLANDasked the Minister of Transport whether he has observed the reports of accidents to children cycling in the streets; and whether, when legislation is being introduced, he will consider fixing a minimum age for persons using bicycles, as is the case with motor cyclists?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAYes, Sir. The figures before me are alarming and show that nearly 40 per cent. of the cyclists killed in road accidents are under 21 years of age.
§ Mr. ELLIS SMITHIn view of the large number of accidents among children, will the Minister consider revising the speed limit in special industrial areas?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI can only consider what it is within my power to consider. The speed limit is imposed under the Statute.
§ Mr. MAXTONWill the right hon. Gentleman make further investigations into deaths among young cyclists to see how many were caused by messenger boys riding bicycles, with attachments, fore and aft, to carry parcels?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAYes, Sir, the Highway Code lays down an instruction upon that point.
§ Mr. LEVYMay I ask my right hon. Friend whether the majority of these accidents are not caused by the contributory negligence on the part of the cyclists themselves?
§ Mr. BROADIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of these young people have to travel to work by cycle because railway fares are so high in the suburbs, and wages are so low?