§ 14. Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why traffic conditions at the junction of the Aldenham—Bushey road with the Watford by-pass are not suitable for control by traffic lights.
§ Mr. MolsonThe junction is in open country and traffic speeds on the by-pass are high. In such conditions experience has shown that traffic signals are not suitable, as drivers may be travelling too fast to stop with safety if the lights change.
§ Mr. RussellWould my hon. Friend agree that that difficulty occurs at any traffic lights when driving too fast to be able to stop with safety? Will he agree that, in view of the large amount of traffic, a roundabout at this junction would soon get clogged up as many similar roundabouts do?
§ Mr. MolsonNo, I do not agree with what my hon. Friend has suggested. In the case of junctions in built-up areas traffic lights are obviously the most efficient way of dealing with the problem, but in an open area on a by-pass road where high speeds are reached traffic lights are extremely dangerous. Our attention has been drawn to the fact that this junction had a bad record, and for that reason we are putting in a roundabout.