§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEUMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will give the casualty figures in terms of killed, seriously injured, and slightly injured, arising from accidents on the M.10, M.45 and M.1 route between St. Albans and Dun-church in the twelve months since the motorway was opened to traffic; similar figures for the A.5 and A.45 between St. Albans and Dun-church for that period, together with comparable figures for the preceding twelve months for the latter route; and if they are satisfied that the construction of
| ACCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE OPENING OF THE MOTORWAY | ||||
| — | Before the motorway was opened (1958–59*) | After the motorway was opened (1959–60*) | ||
| A.5 and A.45 | A.5 and A.45 | M.1, M.10 and M.45 | Total, A.5, A.45 and motorway | |
| Accidents | ||||
| Fatal | 31 | 11 | 20 | 31 |
| Injury | 551 | 215 | 221 | 436 |
| Total | 582 | 226 | 241 | 467 |
| Casualties | ||||
| Killed | 39 | 14 | 25 | 39 |
| Seriously Injured | 309 | 126 | 148 | 274 |
| Slightly Injured | 558 | 174 | 238 | 412 |
| Total | 906 | 314 | 411 | 725 |
| *2nd November to 31st October. |
§ motorways makes a useful contribution towards the reduction of road accidents and casualties.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, the total number of casualties on M.1, A.5 and A.45 in the first year after the motorway was opened was 20 per cent. below the figure for A.5 and A.45 alone in the preceding twelve months. Over the same period there was an increase of 6 per cent. in accidents and casualties on all other roads. This comparison tends to underestimate the reduction in accidents and casualties since the motorway was opened, because the motorway has also drawn traffic away from many other roads in the vicinity. The accident rate for M.1 is estimated at about 7 per 10 million vehicle miles, which is about half the rate for all other roads in the country.
The statistical information on which I have based this Answer is summarised in a Table which I will, with your Lordships' permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT; I Will send a copy of it to my noble friend, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that the construction of motorways makes a material contribution towards the reduction of road accidents.
§ Following is the Table referred to:
61§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEUMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. Do not those figures prove how wrong people were to label this road a "murder-way" and pronounce it to be dangerous, and also prove that speed in itself is not a major cause of accidents? In view of his Answer, will Her Majesty's Government press on with all urgency with the motorway programme?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, the answer is "Yes" in all cases.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for the information he has just given the House, I would ask whether the return that he has promised to publish will give the amount of traffic using A.5 and M.1, so that we can form a really accurate comparison.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I had expected the noble Earl to put his question in a slightly different way and I was going on to give him the information for which he asked in the Question he has on the Order Paper. I will send him also a copy of the return to which I referred, and I would point out that that return includes figures for both the A.5 and the A.45 because together they constitute a complete alterative route of similar length from the beginning to the end of the motorway. It is estimated that during the period November, 1959, to March 1960, the average daily flow at a point midway along the M.1 was 11,900 vehicles per day, and 4,900 per day at a similar point on the A.5.