HC Deb 28 March 1956 vol 550 cc2130-1
27. Mr. Crouch

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the numbers of fatal road accidents in the second half of 1955 in built-up areas, and open country roads, respectively; the number in which mechanically propelled vehicles only were involved in each of these two categories; the number in which pedestrians died in each category as the result of coming into contact with mechanical vehicles; and the number in which cyclists were involved in each category.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Hugh Molson)

The figures asked for by my hon. Friend are not readily available, and to extract them would require a considerable expenditure of time and labour. Police reports show, however, that in the second half of 1955 1,835 persons in all—of whom 1,061 were pedestrians—were killed on roads with a speed limit and 1,395 persons—of whom 278 were pedestrians—were killed on roads without a speed limit.

Mr. Crouch

In view of my hon. Friend's reply—I wish it had been more detailed—may I ask whether more attention should not be given to making the roads in built-up areas safer? Will he consider the introduction of more zebra crossings in built-up areas and making it an offence for any pedestrian to cross a highway except over the pedestrian crossing, when one is available on that highway?

Mr. Molson

The answer to the first point raised by my hon. Friend is that approximately two-thirds of our road programme each year is devoted to urban areas or to schemes such as by-passes, which should have the effect of reducing casualties in built-up areas. With regard to my hon. Friend's second point, in accordance with the policy initiated by Mr. Barnes when he was Minister of Transport, we think it desirable that there should not be too many pedestrian crossings. Mr. Barnes aimed at reducing them to one-third of the number which there had been before. We believe that, on the whole, that is the wisest policy to follow. My right hon. Friend is following the policy of trying to improve the traffic flow in built-up areas.