§ 14. Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his future policy towards the 50 mph and 60 mph speed limit.
§ Mr. MarksWe shall review the speed limits before the present Order expires on 30th November next.
§ Mr. KnoxWill the Minister tell the House what estimates his Department has made of the fuel savings resulting from the speed limits? If there is no such estimate, or if it is very small, how can he justify the continuation of the limits?
§ Mr. MarksThe estimate was a saving of 3 per cent. to 4 per cent. of motor spirit during the year. It is difficult to say that that saving was entirely due to the imposition of speed limits, but that was not an entirely negligible factor. It means a saving of about £40 million a year.
§ Mr. Gwilym RobertsWill my hon. Friend not only consider the savings in fuel but tell the House if these speed limits have reduced the number of accidents? Will he also consider introducing a limit on the speed at which heavy transporters travel on motorways, because they rush along with dangerous loads and are becoming more and more of a problem?
§ Mr. MarksHeavy transporters will be dealt with in the policy review. The figures for accidents are difficult to define because of other factors. In the first few months of 1975, the accidents rate per vehicle-mile compared with the corresponding period in 1973 was 15 per cent. lower on motorways and 16 per cent. lower on all-purpose roads subject to the reduced limits.
§ Mr. Norman FowlerSurely it is quite wrong to continue using an emergency fuel-saving device in this way. Does not the Minister recognise that the plethora of speed limits causes confusion to the motorist, makes police enforcement even more difficult, and is, all told, a bad law?
§ Mr. MarksOur last survey showed that about 80 per cent. of drivers were observing the limits before November. Before any future order is brought to the 1312 House we shall have a further check on these figures.