HC Deb 05 April 1910 vol 16 c405W
Mr. WEIR

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the recent case of the driver of a taxi-cab being observed to be leaning over the steering wheel as though asleep while the cab was in motion, but who was found to be dead by a pedestrian who boarded the cab, which meanwhile had run on to the pavement and narrowly escaped knocking down four children; and, seeing the danger to which the public are thus exposed, will he consider the expediency of requiring all taxi-cabs and similar vehicles to be fitted with an appliance such as will enable an inside passenger to stop the cab in case of necessity?

Mr. CHURCHILL

My attention has been drawn to newspaper reports of this case. Such occurrences are very rare, and it is not easy to see how they may be guarded against. The remedy which my hon. Friend suggests would, by enabling nervous passengers to interfere with the driving, cause far more accidents than it would prevent.