HC Deb 06 May 1964 vol 694 cc1269-70
15. Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the Minister of Transport if he is yet able to estimate what the public response has been to his "Give way to the right" signs at selected roundabouts; and if he will make a statement.

Vice-Admiral Hughes Hallett

It is too early yet to draw any firm conclusion from this experiment but preliminary indications are promising.

Mr. Smith

May I ask the Minister whether he is aware that many motorists are finding these signs a considerable asset at roundabouts, but that when one road tends significantly to be more of a major one than the other, they are ignoring them? Does my hon. and gallant Friend think that it is worth continuing with the experiment at that type of roundabout, and does he envisage in the long run having this as a permanent feature of the road traffic law?

Vice-Admiral Hughes Hallett

I think that it is too early to answer my hon. Friend's supplementary questions. I think that we must see how the trials which it is planned to carry out at about 76 roundabouts work out. So far, signs have been erected at 41 of them.

Preliminary observations—and I stress that these are preliminary—indicate that traffic flows are better and that what are called "lock-ups" have been almost eliminated. There is also less need for supervision by the police. On the other hand, there is no marked change in the accident figures, and there is a tendency for the signs to be disregarded once an entry stream has been firmly established.

Mr. Lipton

Will the Minister say for how long this experiment is going on? Furthermore, does it not create confusion and misunderstanding when a regulation or practice of this kind is applied to some roundabouts and not to others? Where it does not apply, one gets a state of psychological warfare.

Vice-Admiral Hughes Hallett

I do not know that I would agree with the hon. Gentleman about that. The notices when the "Give way to traffic from the right" rule is in force are very clear. They can be seen as one approaches, and if there is no notice at all, one goes on as before.