18 and 19. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport (1) what is the present system of providing warnings on the M.1 of unpredictable hazards such as ice, fog or obstruction by damaged vehicles; and if he is satisfied that such a system is proving satisfactory;
(2) what consideration he has given to the provision, in cases of emergency hazards, of a system of illuminated signs along the M.1 controlled by the police from a central point or points; and what estimate of the probable cost of such a system has been obtained.
§ Mr. MarplesLarge reflecting signs of recent design and with the legends "Ice," "Fog," "Accident" and "Roadworks" are held in readiness for immediate use when needed, and they have been generally effective. I am considering the possibility of an experiment with 1305 remotely controlled illuminated signs. Estimates of the total cost of such a system have not yet been prepared.
Mr. Gresham CookeWould my right hon. Friend seriously consider this question of remotely controlled illuminated signs—say, amber lights on bridges on M.1—because if there is an accident it takes some time for the police to get out warning cones, and if there are patches of fog at the corners of roads these signs are not always visible to people on the road? In order to avoid accidents and the shunting of cars one on top of the other, it would be a help to have distant warning signs on the bridges.
§ Mr. MarplesI quite agree, and that is why I am carrying out the experiment.