§ 2.36 p.m.
§ LORD MABANEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were killed on the roads in Britain in the year ended December 31, 1938, and how many in the year ended December 31, 1963; and further, how many self-propelled vehicles were licensed at December 31, 1938, and how many at December 31, 1963.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, there were 6,648 people killed on the roads of Great Britain in 1938 and 6,922 in 1963. At the census taken in the third quarter of 1938 there were 3.1 million road motor vehicles licensed; the comparable figure for 1963 was 10.9 million.
§ LORD MABANEMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. While more deaths on the road are to be deplored, is it not noteworthy that, notwithstanding the more than threefold increase in the number of motor vehicles licensed, the number of deaths on the road is virtually the same? Does not the proportionately reduced mortality reflect credit both on the Ministry of Transport and on the police authorities?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I think that the measures which have been taken by Her Majesty's Government, so far as they fall to their lot, and by the police have certainly been very helpful 1010 in producing this result; so have improved ambulance and medical services; and there are, of course, other factors as well. I should like to say to my noble friend that I think from these figures we can take at least a little encouragement in what we are all trying to do, if there is very little satisfaction and no complacency.
§ LORD MABANEMy Lords, would Her Majesty's Government not agree that, whereas in 1938 motorists were mainly killing pedestrians and pedal cyclists, they are now usually killing one another? It ought to be called suicide on the roads, and not murder on the roads.
§ LORD CHESHAMI am not sure about that, my Lords, because we must get these matters right. I had not thought fit to mention this, because the noble Lord's Question referred to actual deaths, but it is a fact that the number of injured has tended to increase in a different proportion.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that, if we are going to make comparisons of the number of road deaths over the last twenty-five years, it would be fair to give credit to the Government for the vast expenditure they have made in improving the roads, and to manufacturers for the very high standard of technical excellence that has been achieved in the manufacture and design of motor vehicles over the last twenty-five years?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, it was those factors which I had in mind when I said that I thought we could at least take encouragement from what these figures seemed to show us. I am grateful to the noble Lord for what he said, and I hope it will encourage the good work to continue.