§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the potential danger to drivers using M.1 from objects thrown from the many bridges over the motorway; and, if so, what steps they propose to take to abate the nuisance.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, there have been a few reports of people throwing objects from bridges on to the motorway. It is difficult to visualise any physical alteration to the bridges or any system of police supervision capable of preventing altogether this dangerous nuisance, which is of course an offence. It seems likely that the nuisance will diminish or disappear when the motorway is no longer a novelty.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he would examine the possibility of having wire netting over the roadways, going over the bridges, and that sort of thing, in order to prevent stones from being thrown, which will undoubtedly be the next thing?
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, could I ask the noble Lord whether his attention has been drawn to a report from various police authorities that the parapets on these bridges 693 are too low for safety? Is the Minister taking any action in this matter, and would that in any way assist in the difficulty which the noble Lord who put down this Question envisages?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I think that on this subject I would not agree at the present stage on the essential necessity to put up a large degree of unsightly wire netting, although I am quite as aware as the noble Earl is of the tremendous danger which could be involved to individuals, if not perhaps to more people than that, by objects being thrown over. Even pieces of paper, in certain circumstances, plastered across one's windscreen could be very dangerous in answer to the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas of Chilworth, I have seen the report in the paper, but that report has not yet come to my right honourable friend. No doubt it will do so in due course, and when it does it will, of course, be considered. I should like to add that my right honourable friend is very anxious—and is thinking very hard about it at the moment—to learn the lessons of the motorway in all respects, so that any defects can be put right on this one, if necessary, and to see that any weak points are not repeated in the future.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, has Her Majesty's Government's attention been called to the fact that the motorway is apparently being used by cars going at 120 or more miles an hour; and does this not constitute a danger to other users of the motorway should there be any mechanical or tyre failure at that speed?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, speed is relatively a dangerous thing in any motor car. A very small motor car with a top speed of 70 miles an hour doing 69 miles an hour is just as capable of creating havoc as a car built for the purpose of doing 120 miles an hour. There are, so far as I am aware, no particular widespread complaints of very excessive speeds. There no doubt have been individual instances. I would agree, certainly, that if you are going to drive a car fast you have to know how to. But unless and until there seems to be a real problem—and my right honourable friend and everyone concerned will be watching for everything—I do not think there is any more to be done.