§ 2.53 p.m.
The Lord Bishop of LONDONMy 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 steps they intend to take to stop the widespread disregard of speed limits on the roads.
1490§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, compliance with speed limits may be improved both by enforcement and by education of drivers. Enforcement is for the police, but it is relevant to note that police manpower levels are now appreciably higher than for many years and that a wide range of speed detecting equipment is becoming available. As to education, Her Majesty's Government are undertaking an extensive fuel-saving campaign which will include advice to motorists to drive at economical speeds.
The Lord Bishop of LONDONMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. Will he accept that the driving of motor cars at inordinate speeds, which is rampant in this country, is not only a danger to life and limb, but a very serious consumption of valuable fuel? Will Her Majesty's Government consider the possibility of introducing a speed limit such as obtains throughout the whole of the United States of America, of 55 miles per hour, and also consider imposing penalties which would concentrate the mind on the importance of keeping the law?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I accept what the right reverend Prelate says; there is a great deal in it. Having driven in America, I totally accept the pleasure of driving within a total speed limit of 55 miles per hour. However, in order to achieve the best results in safety terms, limits should not be set at speeds which are substantially lower than those which the majority of drivers regard as reasonable. Experience of previous reductions in speed limits for purposes of fuel economy suggests that they achieve only very small savings. Drivers' awareness of fuel shortage can in itself bring about appreciable reductions in average driving speeds, and the Government's publicity campaign should, we hope, increase understanding of the advantages of lower speeds to the driver.
§ Lord MOYNEMy Lords, will Her Majesty's Government consider introducing, experimentally, speed-breakers? —which I have seen working extremely well in New Delhi, although obviously not on main roads but on other suitable roads.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I believe that a Member of another place is today introducing a Bill to make it legal to allow road-humps or sleeping "policemen", as they are known, to be left in one place for more than a year, which at the moment is not allowed. Furthermore, the Road Research Laboratory is being encouraged by the Department of Transport to investigate matters. We have rumble strips and yellow transverse bar markings; the one makes a loud noise and discourages drivers driving at speed in places which are accident prone, and the other has a visual effect, making one appear to be driving faster than one actually is.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I compliment the noble Lord on the exposition he has just given us about "sleeping policemen" and so on. Referring to the Question of the right reverend Prelate, surely the Government will not be complacent and say, "Yes, we shall do some educating; we are mounting a publicity campaign". We are being urged to save 5 per cent. in our petrol consumption, which could very easily be achieved if there were only some means of making people drive a little slower than they do at present. One way of doing this would be to have much better enforcement of the present limits, if the Government are not willing to lower the limit altogether.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I think the noble Baroness for her kind words. It is a combination of all these matters; awareness of how we are hitting our own purse; awareness of education and of the effect these various actions which have already been mentioned have. It is for the police to decide to what extent they enforce the law, and they will do so. They tend to do so where they have received bad reports, where there are flagrant cases of the law being broken and where there are areas prone to accidents.
§ Lord MACKIE of BENSHIEMy Lords, will the noble Lord not agree that, if the object is to save petrol, it would be much more effective to have a variable tax on horesepower, as we used to have in this country?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONYes, my Lords, but that is another question.