§ 12.25 p.m.
§ LORD LAMINGTONhad given Notice that he would ask that the publication of road accident statistics should give the number of non-fatal accidents as well as of fatal accidents. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the question standing in my name requires very few words from me by way of explanation. Your Lordships 1886 will remember that since the return of fatal accidents only has been made, about three and a half times the normal number of people have been killed on the roads compared with the number killed in other years. No one at the present time wants to add to the labours of Government Departments unnecessarily, and we all wish to avoid giving extra labour to those Departments, but no extra labour will be involved in making the return for which I now ask, because every motorist has to tell the police when he has had an accident of any description. The figures I ask for are already available in the Department, and it is simply a question of adding the nonfatal to the fatal accidents.
§ I do not ask for statistical information at the present time, because that no doubt would add to the work, but I think it is very important to have the number of non-fatal accidents reported. The result might be to lead to greater precautions being taken, and, therefore, to a sensible reduction in the number of accidents that take place. Based on the proportional return of previous years it may be assumed that during September and October there were 80,000 non-fatal accidents, and, taking the usual proportion of fatal to non-fatal accidents, that of those 80,000 there have been 18,000 persons seriously injured. The term "seriously injured" is large and all-embracing. It may mean injury for life for the unfortunate victim. I only wish to emphasize two points. The first is that the return I ask for will involve no extra labour in any Government Department or office, or very little extra labour, and that I ask for no statistical information. That may come later unless, as I hope, some other means will be taken, in the way, for instance, of a reduction of speed, to avoid the frightful number of casualties. Secondly, I say that it is very important, when you have 80,000 people injured in two months and when 18,000 of them probably will be very seriously injured, possibly for life, that we should have the information. Therefore I ask the question and hope that the return I ask for will be granted.
§ 12.28 p.m.
§ LORD TEMPLEMOREMy Lords, in answer to my noble friend I would inform him that on the outbreak of war the compilation of road accident statistics was 1887 discontinued in order to release police personnel and the Ministry of Transport staff for more urgent duties. It was also hoped that conditions in a state of war—for example, those brought about by the rationing of motor fuel, by the restriction of lighting both on vehicles and on the roads, and by possible enemy action—would be so different from those prevailing in normal times as to destroy the comparative value of the figures. In the middle of September the whole question was reconsidered in the light of the circumstances then existing, and arrangements were made for the monthly returns of road casualties to be reinstated. It was, however, decided to restrict the information to fatal accidents for three reasons—first, on grounds of economy, to keep the volume of work as small as possible and so save man power for other duties; secondly, to avoid the difficulties of possible discrepancies in reports by police forces whose personnel includes many men who have had no experience of this work; and thirdly, because it was considered that statistics as to persons killed would provide sufficient material on which to base any remedial measures which appear to be practicable. There would be no insuperable difficulty, of course, in reinstituting returns of nonfatal accidents, but in view of these considerations, particularly that of economy and saving of man power, I hope that my noble friend will not press his suggestion.