§ Mr. Kershawasked the Minister of Transport how many road accidents occurred on the A.38 between Gloucester and Bristol between 1st May, 1964, and the latest convenient date; how many people were killed or injured; how many 152W of these accidents occurred on three-lane sections of A.38; and how these figures compare with corresponding figures of a year ago.
§ Mr. MarplesThe figures are given in the following table. They relate to the calendar month of May in each case.
1963 1964 Total number of accidents 21 25 Number on 3-lane carriageway 12 15 Total number of fatal accidents 2 — Number on 3-lane carriageway 2 — Total number of persons seriously injured 5 15 Number on 3-lane carriageway 3 13 Total number of persons slightly injured 11 14 Number on 3-lane carriageway 7 12 These figures are not strictly comparable, because:
- (i) there is 3-lane carriageway over about threequarters of the length of this stretch of road;
- (ii) there is a greater proportion of 3-lane carriageway now than there was a year ago;
- (iii) the Whitsun holiday is included in the 1964 figures;
- (iv) during this holiday one serious accident accounted for 10 serious injuries and one slight injury.