Lord DE CLIFFORDMy 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 what progress has been made in the last two years in dealing with the problem of sheets of mud and spray thrown up by multi-wheeled vehicles travelling at high speeds; and whether road users can anticipate some relief from this dangerous nuisance in the coming winter.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, during the past three years extensive research into this problem has been carried out in collaboration with Southampton University. However, I regret that, despite earlier hopes, no effective technical way of reducing spray by vehicle modifications has been found. Spray-reducing road surfaces are being evaluated, but it is not yet clear whether they will be found suitable for general use. Even if acceptable, they could be introduced only gradually as the need for resurfacing arises.
Lord DE CLIFFORDMy Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for that reply, may I ask whether she is aware that this is a most serious problem and only in the last 10 days three people have been killed through such sprays of mud being thrown up, and in bad weather there is scarcely a day when we do not hear police warnings about spray and mud on motorways and on other roads? In view of the danger involved, does she not think that considerably more money might be spent on this rather than on other forms of research?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I accept that this is a very serious problem. As far as transport is concerned, there are financial restrictions on us as on every other Department. We are carrying out experiments on nine different road lengths on different aspects of possible surfacing which might eliminate part of this problem, but much of it depends on the drivers. Speed is the most important factor in producing spray. The speed at which a driver travels determines the amount of spray thrown up. Most of it is thrown sideways and not behind, and it is a question of common sense on the part of drivers in bad weather.
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that I have asked Questions on this matter for three years running and got no further, so that I gave it up? Is she further aware that lorries abroad have to have flaps on their wheels, which are not obligatory here, and that these flaps save a great deal of spraying from mud? I have tried over and over again to get this matter investigated.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, there are problems even with mud flaps and mudguards. In wet weather mud flaps help; in dry weather they tend to overheat the tyres or help to do so. We are sometimes accused of not doing as much as others do on the Continent. But that is not our information. The only country of which we have any firm information is Sweden, where there are regulations on the detailed design and fitment of mudguards and mud flaps. The problem there is associated with unsealed roads and the wider use of studded tyres, and it is a question of trying to stop studs, rather than mud, spraying on to passing vehicles.
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, if mud flaps overheat tyres, does not the noble Baroness think it strange that they should be used in hot countries in Europe and not here?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, we can only act on the advice given us, and at the moment the advice is that the problem cannot be solved by mudguards or mud flaps. It rests with the drivers—they should drive much more carefully and slowly in wet weather.
§ Lord THOMASMy Lords, is it not a fact that a great deal of the onus of responsibility lies on the drivers of the following cars? If they kept a respectable distance behind, if they were properly equipped with screen washers and screen wipers, used their commonsense and did not crowd and telescope the traffic, would not this difficulty be overcome?
§ Baroness STEDMANYes, my Lords; I could not agree more. That is the advice that we give from the Department of Transport.
§ Lord DOUGLASS of CLEVELANDMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that it is not always a question of the car overtaking the lorry; it is often the lorry overtaking the car? If restrictions were put upon the speed of the lorries I would guarantee a technically efficient mudguard would be produced. It seems to me that a louvred mudguard would overcome the whole heating aspect of this problem because louvred mudguards would direct more cold air on the tyres than they normally get without mudguards at all.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I accept that lorries also cause problems when passing cars, but, as far as speed limits are concerned, the police are empowered to use the speed limit signs on the motorways if they think that conditions are bad and that drivers are travelling too fast.
§ Lord BOWDENMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the cut in the maintenance grants for roads has been so dramatic that the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better, and that some roads—for example, in Dorset—will be due for resurfacing, on average, once every 3.75 years? This is the worst example in England, but some of the roads in Wales are worse still. When is it to be hoped that some improvement will be made in the grants for maintenance of motorways as well as ordinary roads?
§ Baroness STEDMANAs soon as our economic position improves and we are able to increase public expenditure, my Lords.