§ 48. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will reconsider his decision to omit the overtake signal from the new Highway Code.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThere is nothing in the new Highway Code which bans the pleasant courtesy of the signal "I am ready to be overtaken", and I hope all motorists will use it when appropriate. It has been left out because on the advice of the Road Safety Committee I decided to limit the signals shown in the code to those indicating drivers' own intentions.
§ Dr. KingWhile thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask if he is aware that a number of schools of motoring regard this as a most useful signal which leaves following traffic in no doubt as to a driver's intention? Will he give serious thought to the fact that, by cutting this out, he might be depriving some of those who study the code in future of a most useful signal?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI think this House is to discuss the matter later this week. All I shall say now is that we must be careful to limit hand signals, so far as we can, to those which must always be made. This signal is a courtesy signal which I hope will be made, but which is not necessarily a mandatory signal.