§ 28. Lieut-Colonel Liptonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number and percentage of accidents on zebra crossings for the quarter ended 31st March last.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Hugh Molson)The information required by the hon. and gallant Member is not yet available; I will send it to him as soon as I can.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the general figures giving the accidents for the quarter ended 31st March are already available? Have they yet been analysed, and if so can the hon. Gentleman say whether or not the degree of security for pedestrians on zebra crossings is improved or is getting worse?
§ Mr. MolsonI have already said that the figures have not yet been analysed. They will be analysed in the middle of May. I will send the hon. and gallant Gentleman the analysis.
§ 33. Mr. Orbachasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what has been the number and type of accidents on the North Circular Road, from Staples Corner to Neasden Circus, since the installation of traffic lights along that road; and if he will give similar information with regard to accidents on the same road for the corresponding previous period.
§ Mr. MolsonAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. OrbachDo the figures disclose a diminution in the number of accidents?
§ Mr. MolsonYes, Sir. The figures are extremely satisfactory. From 23rd September, 1952, to 22nd March, 1953, the number of accidents was 22. In the subsequent comparable period the figure fell to nine.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The last set of these signals came into operation on 23rd September, 1953, and excluding accidents at the junctions at either end of this length of road, the figures of accidents to 22nd March, 1954, compared with the figures for the same period a year earlier are as follows:
| 23rd Sept., 1952–22nd March, 1953 | 23rd Sept., 1953–22nd March, 1954 | ||||
| Fatal | … | … | … | 2 | 0 |
| Serious | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Slight | … | … | … | 19 | 8 |
| Total | … | … | … | 22 | 9 |
§ The accidents are analysed as:
| 23rd Sept., 1952–22nd March, 1953 | 23rd Sept., 1953–22nd March, 1954 | |
| Passengers alighting from Public Service Vehicles. | 2 | 1 |
| Collisions between private cars Collisions between goods | 6 | 2 |
| and other vehicles Collisions involving motor | 1 | 2 |
| cyclists | 5 | 2 |
| [Collisions with other vehicles] | 2 | 2 |
| Collisions with grass verge | 1 | 0 |
| Skids) | 2 | 0 |
| Collisions involving pedal cyclists | 5 | 2 |
| [Collisions with vehicles | 4 | 2 |
| Illness] | 1 | 0 |
| Collisions involving pedestrians | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 22 | 9 |
§ Of the two persons killed in the period before the installation of the traffic lights, one was a pedestrian and one a cyclist.