HL Deb 29 May 1963 vol 250 cc844-50

2.6 p.m.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My 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 whether they have completed the analysis of the Easter road casualty figures and, if so, with what results.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)

My Lords, I regret to say that the final figures show that in the five days from Thursday, April 11, to Easter Monday, 113 people were killed and 1,551 seriously injured in road accidents. At Easter, 1962, 83 people were killed and 1,395 seriously injured. This is a most disappointing result, which cannot be explained by the increase in traffic between 1962 and 1963. The day-by-day figures show that there were particularly large increases in casualties on the Thursday and on Good Friday. The detailed analysis, which with your Lordships' permission I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT, does not suggest any

NUMBERS KILLED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED AT EASTER*
— Killed Seriously injured Killed or Seriously injured Percentage change 1962–1963
1962 1963 1962 1963 1962 1963 Killed or seriously injured Estimated motor traffic
Thursday 19 27 263 315 282 342 + 217 —
Friday 13 31 248 319 261 350 + 34 + 15
Saturday 19 19 341 345 360 364 + 1 + 13
Sunday 13 17 271 264 284 281 − 1 − 9
Monday 19 19 272 308 291 327 + 12 − 1
83 113 1,395 1,551 1,478 1,664 + 13 + 3
* From Thursday, April 19, to Monday, April 23, 1962; from Thursday, April 11, to Monday, April 15, 1963.
NUMBERS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AT EASTER BY TIME OF DAY BUILT-UP AREAS
— Easter, 1962 Easter, 1963
Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.
Midnight-6 a.m. 5 9 7 19 3 2 17 5 21 18
6 a.m.-Noon 42 19 33 15 23 42 36 34 13 24
Noon-4 p.m. 50 37 60 44 42 61 36 73 45 47
4 p.m.-6 p.m. 35 21 34 21 26 37 32 27 14 29
6 p.m.-10 p.m. 45 22 39 27 30 38 32 30 30 17
10 p.m.-Midnight 25 19 52 25 26 28 48 57 33 35
202 127 225 151 150 208 201 226 156 170
NON-BUILT-UP AREAS
— Easter, 1962 Easter, 1963
Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Thurs. Fri Sat. Sun. Mon.
Midnight-6 a.m. 2 10 4 8 2 8 15 10 24 6
6 a.m.-Noon 17 34 19 18 31 30 33 27 19 28
Noon-4 p.m. 9 26 35 41 37 33 22 29 30 47
4 p.m.-6 p.m. 9 24 28 33 23 27 23 15 13 17
6 p.m.-10 p.m. 27 13 28 22 34 17 27 26 24 40
10 p.m.-Midnight 16 27 21 11 14 19 29 31 15 19
80 134 135 133 141 134 149 138 125 157

single factor which could have accounted for these increases. The results will emphasise the many special dangers on the roads at Bank Holiday periods, which I hope everyone will bear in mind over the coming week-end.

Following is the analysis referred to:

ALL AREAS
— Easter, 1962 Easter, 1963
Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.
Midnight-6 a.m. 7 19 11 27 5 10 32 15 45 24
6 a.m.-Noon 59 53 52 33 54 72 69 61 32 52
Noon-4 p.m. 59 63 95 85 79 94 58 102 75 94
4 p.m.-6 p.m. 44 45 62 54 49 64 55 42 27 46
6 p.m.-10 p.m. 72 35 67 49 64 55 59 56 54 57
10 p.m.-Midnight 41 46 73 36 40 47 77 88 48 54
282 261 360 284 291 342 350 364 281 327
NUMBERS OF EACH CLASS OF ROAD USER KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AT EASTER
Easter 1962 Easter 1963
Built-up areas Non-built-up areas All areas Built-up areas Non-built-up areas All areas
Pedestrians 300 31 331 310 56 366
Pedal cyclists 71 32 103 83 28 111
Motor cycle, scooter and moped riders and passengers 258 214 472 225 188 413
Car drivers and passengers 155 289 444 264 363 627
Goods vehicle drivers and passengers 39 48 87 48 50 98
Other road users 32 9 41 31 18 49
855 623 1,478 961 703 1,664
LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, I can only concur in what the noble Lord has said. These are appalling figures—I repeat, appalling figures. I would ask the noble Lord this. Is it not shocking that the Ministry of Transport do not place any concrete suggestion before this House—there is no trend of improvement or anything else—and that we have to go on, month in and month out, with expedient after expedient, while on and on goes the terrible toll on the roads? The noble Lord must realise I know he does—the shocking state of affairs that exists. I think it is time the Committee over which he presides at the Ministry, the National Safety-First Committee, took this matter really in hand. We cannot go on like this. I ask him, with his right honourable friend the Minister, to give the matter even more serious attention than they are giving it at the present time.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I do not think I need to reassure your Lordships that we never stop thinking about these things. I do not know whether or not the noble Lord intended an implication that the conduct of the Ministry of Transport in this matter was shocking.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

Let me say this straight away. The figures are shocking. The criticism I would have of the Ministry, if the noble Lord will allow me to say so, is that we have gone from expedient to expedient—we have one in the experiment which is being tried now—but we make no impress upon this shocking problem.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord who has just spoken whether he has noticed the new rules which the Minister of Transport has said will come into force on, I believe, the 29th of this month?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I do not want to argue it out with the noble Lord, Lord Lucas of Chilworth, here and now, because Question Time is not the moment to do it, but I certainly do not go with him all the way when he implies that we are desperately or wildly trying expedient after expedient. We certainly try a number of experiments, as well as other things that have been done. I think that, so far as my right honourable friend's Department is concerned, we are as conscious, if not more conscious, of the dire necessity in these matters as anyone else.

EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, could the Minister tell us what would be the increase in the number of vehicles licensed at the time of this Easter holiday he is referring to, as compared with the number at Easter last year?

LORD CHESHAM

Without notice, I could not give the exact figure, but I understand that the overall traffic figure represents something like (this is an indication only) an increase of 10 per cent.

EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

I can understand that it is not easy to provide additional road improvements to match an apparent increase in traffic of 10 per cent. year by year. That accounts for the enormous expense already; I do not know what it is proposed to do about that. But certainly I do not think the general public would have any complaint to make if penalties were very much increased.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

And the law enforced, too.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)

My Lords, I feel, with the noble Earl, that we should take this matter extremely seriously, but, for instance, the outcry against the introduction by my right honourable friend of the Regulations which both Houses of Parliament in effect approved in the recent Road Traffic Act makes, I think, a somewhat melancholy commentary upon some of the things which are said.

VISCOUNT ST. DAVIDS

My Lords, will the noble Lord not agree that there is one common factor in all these accidents, and that is that all these people were on the roads? Will the noble Lord tell us what casualties, if any, there were upon the railways over the same period? Would the noble Lord add the figures of these casualties to the Beeching figures?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, without notice I cannot give the noble Viscount the information he desires, because the Question we have before us relates to road casualties.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, the figures which the noble Lord gave just now were 113 killed and 1,551 seriously injured. If I put a Question down after the Whitsun Recess, would he be prepared to tell the House how many prosecutions were made in connection with the accidents which caused those fatalities and injuries?

LORD CHESHAM

I could not guarantee to do so, because I do not know whether I could assemble the information at the time the noble Lord puts his Question down after the Recess. I cannot tell him at what stage there might be some figure given in that connection. But, as always whenever the noble Lord puts down a Question, I can try to answer it.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

Would the noble Lord not agree with me that those figures would, at least, show the House the efficacy of our enforcement and of the things we have tried to do in the various Road Traffic Acts which have been passed? They would show whether or not punishment is a deterrent to wrong-doing. Will he let me know when I can put down the Question? It may be some time ahead, but I will gladly do it.

LORD CHESHAM

I shall be glad to comply with what the noble Lord wants. I am not sure whether the figures will be conclusive proof of one thing or the other in this matter. But I agree with the noble Lord, they would be interesting.

EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, as I understand there are conferences or considerations undertaken by the Minister of Transport with regard to the co-ordination of road or rail traffic, may I ask the noble Lord to consider whether some steps could be taken to see that a good deal of the very heavy traffic, some of which I agree does not run in holiday times, is further expedited by putting more heavy stuff on the rail instead of on the road?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, that raises a wider consideration altogether. It might be almost as well to consider putting more people on the railways.