HC Deb 22 May 1953 vol 515 cc2500-8

4.5 p.m.

Sir Herbert Williams (Croydon, East)

I wish to direct the attention of the House to another road problem—road accidents.

This is one of those problems on which everyone regards himself as being expert. I read many letters in the newspapers, I hear many speeches and I receive many letters expressing views on what should be done. In today's issue of "The Times," I have read a letter from Mr. E. C. Boyce, who is the County Surveyor of Gloucestershire, and who operates in the part of that county that you, Mr. Speaker, represent in this House. He draws attention to the fact that, in his judgment, not enough money has been spent on certain minor road improvements. I think that the real issue to which he has drawn attention concerns that part of your county in which there have been a great many accidents.

My general observation of the roads of Great Britain has led me to think that they are really rather good, but there are odd spots where a good many accidents take place. I hope that, if the Chancellor of the Exchequer is kindly disposed to the Ministry of Transport's future Estimates there will be an elimination of these bad spots, which will receive prior consideration.

The strange thing is that if hon. Members will study the valuable publication which comes out each year from the Ministry and is called "Road Accidents," issued under the direction of the Parliamentary Secretary, they would find a very detailed analysis of conditions of light, road surfaces and general road conditions, as well as the condition of the drivers of vehicles. It is an attempt to analyse causes, and, quite obviously, diagnosis must precede cure. In my judgment, I do not think that enough use has been made of these very valuable statistics. It is true that they are very complicated and require a great deal of study, but they are very valuable. There is such a lot of prejudice on the subject of road accidents. All of us in this House are pedestrians, but most of us are also drivers of motor vehicles, and I think I am a pedestrian for far more hours of the day than I am a driver of a motor vehicle.

I read a speech the other day by a most distinguished and august person, a judge, who addressed the Magistrates' Association at lunch, and urged upon them that they must impose very heavy penalties on people involved in road accidents if they were under the influence of drink. My hon. Friend produces this document, from which we learn that the number of cases in which the drivers had been regarded as having at least contributed to the accident was 120,000, and the number of cases in which drivers were under the influence of either drink or drugs was 1,013. I took occasion to write to this judge to say that he was doing great harm to the cause of road safety by drawing attention to a feature which diverts attention from other things. I regret that he did not give an answer, but perhaps he could not think of one. I must be careful, because he is a Member of another place, although I was not discussing him in that capacity.

If one reads through this document one finds the strange fact that most accidents arise on perfectly straight roads, where the surface conditions are admirable, and when there are good conditions of light and weather. We must try to discover the causation, because until we do we cannot find a cure. I walk down Victoria Street every week, and cross the road two or three times on my way to my office. I watch the other pedestrians. I find that most people cross the road without looking to the right or to the left, like Scots people looking for a three-penny bit in the road. They are completely indifferent to traffic. I believe that pedestrians are more responsible for accidents than drivers. They show an incredible indifference.

We have introduced the system of zebra crossings. It is working better than it was at first. I very frequently cross one of the zebra crossings outside Westminster Hall, and if I see a number of vehicles approaching I wait, because I think it would be selfish to hold them up. When there is a break in the traffic I indicate that I want to cross by putting up my arm. I must not talk legislation, but my hon. Friend may be able to do something by way of one of these curious animals, Statutory Instruments. It would be a great advantage if, before any pedestrian exercised his rights, he gave an indication by holding up his arm. that he intended to cross the road. I am talking about the pedestrian who says, "I have a right to cross the road" and exercises his right very often at the expense of his life. In my judgment, the driver is often quite unjustly blamed.

I was a member of the Standing Committee which considered the Road Traffic Act of 1934, which restored the speed limit which the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) very wisely abolished. On the occasion I was in opposition to my own party. I believe all speed limits to be fundamentally bad, because they lead too many people to drive too fast. A man who is driving in the streets of London may consider himself entitled to travel at 30 miles per hour, and if he is travelling at a lesser speed he thinks he is driving safely, but in many cases he should not be driving at more than three or four miles an hour. In other cases, the speed limit is now treated with complete indifference. The Minister of Transport is to sell off a lot of lorries. Many of them have on their rears the figure "20," which means that they must not travel more than 20 miles an hour. Some of them travel at 40 or 50 miles an hour. It is absurd to allow this flagrant abuse of the speed limit.

The fundamental cause of road accidents is impatience on the part of both pedestrians and drivers. We have all had the dreadful feeling of driving behind a huge vehicle. We try to overtake, but the road is rather narrow. I have not 'been involved in this kind of accident, but there are occasions when drivers take a chance and overtake, because they are impatient at being held up so long by one of these vehicles travelling at under 20 miles an hour, and an accident occurs.

I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary what administrative steps his Ministry are taking to try to reduce this terrible burden upon life and limb. It is not the worst cause of accidents. In yesterday's Press we had a report of accidents in the household. Far more people break their necks falling down steps than are killed by motor vehicles and far more people suffer severe injuries through burns of a domestic character than are injured on the roads. On the other hand, we must bear in mind that between 4,000 and 5,000 people are killed on the road every year, as well as 200,000 or 300,000 being injured in varying degrees, so it is worth devoting a little attention to this matter.

It is fortunate that we are discussing this question on the eve of a holiday, because during holiday periods a great many road accidents occur. There are many people who do not drive very frequently—indeed, drive only at holiday times—and who are a little out of practice. They take undue risks. It is not inappropriate, therefore, that in these few minutes before we go away for what I think, Mr. Speaker, is a very well deserved holiday for you and me and other right hon. and hon. Gentlemen, we should discuss this subject. I see the hon. and gallant Member for Brixton (Lieut.-Colonel Lipton) present, and I know that in Brixton they have a holiday inside, but I do not say inside where.

It may not be a waste of time that we should have this brief debate at the moment. I do not seek any publicity for myself, but it might attract a little interest in the Press and give a little warning to those going on their holidays on this occasion that this Whitsun and during the Coronation period they should be a little less impatient and so cease to imperil their own lives and the lives of other citizens.

4.16 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. Gurney Braithwaite)

It is fortuitous that the Ministry of Transport finds itself confronted with two Adjournment day debates in succession owing to the fact that an hon. Member who gave notice to you, Mr. Speaker, that he would raise another topic has decided not to do so. It is none the less valuable at this time to have an opportunity of reviewing the present situation. My hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, East (Sir H. Williams) will not expect me to follow him into the realms of accidents in the home, although I agree with him that the figures are alarming. It reminds me of the statistician who proved to his own satisfaction and that of everyone else that death was far more likely to come to one in bed than in other circumstances.

We are here for a few moments to look at the present situation of accidents on roads. In 1952, we had what I could call a good year, with an overall reduction of about 10 per cent. in the numbers of killed, but it is disquieting to find that once again, in the first quarter of 1953, the figures are rising month by month.

Lieut.-Colonel Marcus Lipton (Brixton)

The number of cars is rising, too.

Mr. Braithwaite

Perhaps the lion, and gallant Gentleman will permit me to make my own case. We are not unaware of that fact at the Ministry.

At the top of the casualty list increase come motor cyclists, month by month, and we have done what we can to encourage the wearing of crash helmets, safety caps or "skid lids," call them what we will. The House may recall that in January I delivered a broadcast in which I initiated a Coronation year crusade aiming at a 10 per cent. reduction this year in the number of accidents, and it may be recalled that we did our best to call attention to this fact.

In one of those glimpses of the obvious for which he is so famous, the hon. and gallant Member for Brixton (Lieut.-Colonel Lipton) has told us that there are more vehicles on the roads. Of course there are: 250,000 more than a year ago, and they are coming off the line at the rate of some 20,000 a month. But we have been reminded that the condition of the roads has also something to do with the situation. A transport expert from another country said the other day what I think was not untrue: that the roads in this island were the best and worst in Europe—the best maintained and the worst aligned. I think that is not an unfair comment.

Those who interest themselves in this problem are sometimes apt to have a one-track mind and to focus their attention upon one particular factor. I am glad that my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, East referred to the low percentage of accidents which occur owing to drivers being drunk in charge, although that does not make the offence any less serious.

Sir H. Williams

Hear, hear

Mr. Braithwaite

There are some who would have us put everybody in prison without an option the moment they are guilty of this offence, forgetting a fact which anyone with any knowledge of the administration of the law knows perfectly well—that the moment we make imprisonment the sole and only punishment far fewer are convicted. The suspension of a licence for a period is often an infinitely more effective sanction.

There are those who would have us have a blood test in these cases. That has been tried in many countries, but there is no evidence to show that a blood test proves more than the presence of alcohol. As a proof of drunkenness it is far less effective than the common practice in this country by the police, and the far more easily obtained result of a test of the urine of the suspected person. That is found to be a far more reliable guide to drunkenness or otherwise.

My hon. Friend referred to the zebra crossings. I was glad to hear him say that he thinks they are working better. Our own view at the Ministry is that by day they are the best form of pedestrian crossing evolved, but by night they leave much to be desired, especially when the weather is foggy or wet, and it is for that reason that we are pressing forward with the installation of flashing lights on the beacons all over the country. In Birmingham, they have already made a good start, and we hope that as the months go by these installations will proceed rapidly. With regard to the control of pedestrians on crossings, the Road Safety Committee have recently had this matter under examination in considerable detail, and will be submitting some suggestions to my right hon. Friend before long.

I come to speed limits. Like my hon. Friend, I was here when the 1934 Act went through under Mr. Hore-Belisha. I did not sit on the Committee upstairs. Confession is good for the soul, and I confess that I took very little interest in the Measure at the time. I should have taken a great deal more if I could have foreseen the future and have known that one day I should be standing at this Box on behalf of the Minister of Transport. I must say this about the 30 miles an hour limit and its operation that while, of course, there are many offences against it, and while, of course, there are people who proceed too fast through 30 miles an hour limits, its existence does act as a useful deterrent. There was a sharp fall in the accidents following its imposition in 1934.

Where, I believe, it is apt to fail in its application—and I think this is worth saying—is where the restricted area is unnecessarily long. We are frequently getting requests from this and that local authority to impose or extend the restricted areas for speed, but anyone who motors on our roads will agree that where the restricted length is unreasonable impatience supervenes, or one says, "We must have missed the derestriction sign and be out of the restricted area." To be effective the restricted area must be short and in a built up area, and that is why, perhaps, we appear to many local authorities to be difficult about imposing or extending those speed limits. However, we regard them as a useful deterrent.

Just before he resumed his seat, my hon. Friend put the pertinent question: What is the Ministry doing about this problem of road accidents? What steps is it taking? My reply is, the three E's, as opposed to the three R's in education: engineering, enforcement, education. On engineering, there is an expenditure of £3 million on the accident black spots. One would like to spend a great deal more, but £3 million is £3 million, and already a great deal has been done in the past 12 months on the accident black spots where the record is worst. They are being tackled. We have to concentrate on jobs which cost £5,000 or less, the small jobs.

As to enforcement, one of the reasons for the law being broken is weakness in the enforcement machinery, and the increase in the number of mobile police, or "courtesy cops" as we used to call them in the old days, and who are, of course, necessary will very much assist. So far as education is concerned, there has been the steady propaganda of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. I would also call the attention of the House to the very valuable report of the Conference of Road Safety Organisations under the chairmanship of a friend of many of us here Lord Llewellin.

At the instigation and suggestion of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, that body met and studied throughout the autumn and spring and produced this volume, which I commend to anyone interested. It contains a vast number of important suggestions. There is to be a Road Safety Week between 17th and 26th October this year, during which great efforts will be made to focus the attention of the country on this important topic, particularly that of the schoolchildren, whose casualties are, of course, the concern of us all.

At the end of the day there is no substitute for the human element. We cannot make people drive safely by Act of Parliament, I am afraid. We can only keep hammering away at the importance of courtesy and care on the roads. It is, I think, fortunate that my hon. Friend has given me this opportunity of saying a word on the eve of the Whitsuntide holiday and the Coronation period, which must mean a great increase in the amount of traffic concentrating in, particularly, the Metropolis.

If the weather is good this weekend, as may well be, there will be more vehicles on the roads than ever before. There will also be those who are going walking, which I always think is one of the best ways of seeing our beautiful country, and I appeal to pedestrians to keep to footpaths where they are provided, and, on roads where there is no path, to walk on the right. I appeal to those who are on wheels to keep down their speed when the traffic is dense and when there are many people afoot.

We have asked for a "Coronation Crusade." So far we have been disappointed. How unhappy it would be if this event of great national rejoicing were to be marred by a sharp increase in loss of life or grievous injury to those upon our roads. I say to all those who are venturing forth at this time, to whom I wish a pleasant holiday and relaxation, which all of us wish for ourselves, that he who is careful upon the Queen's highway can find himself carefree at his journey's end.

Mr. M. Follick (Loughborough)

The hon. Gentleman said he had £3 million to spend this year on the improvement of roads. Has he given any special attention to that great obstacle to good traffic conditions. Cavendish Bridge?

Mr. Braithwaite

I said that we have £3 million to spend on accident black spots, where the accident record is bad. I know all about Cavendish Bridge, but that involves a major road improvement not covered by this allocation of £3 million. However, the hon. Gentleman can rest assured that the last words spoken in this House before the Whitsun Recess will remain very much in our minds.

Question put, and agreed to.

Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-nine Minutes past Four o'Clock, till Tuesday, 9th June, pursuant to the Resolution of the House yesterday.