§ Mr. BUCHAN-HEPBURNasked the Home Secretary whether he can give any information, in advance of the annual Return which is presented to Parliament, of the number of street accidents caused by vehicles and horses in 1931 which resulted in personal injury and came to the notice of the police?
§ Sir H. SAMUELThe following are preliminary figures as to street accidents caused by vehicles and horses during 1931 which resulted in personal injury and came to the notice of the police. The total number of such accidents recorded in Great Britain was 181,486, of which 6,495 resulted in fatal injuries to one or more persons. The corresponding figures in 1930 were 156,793 and 7,074276W respectively. The number of persons killed in 1931 was 6,685 and 202,147 injured as against 7,305 and 177,895 respectively in 1930. There was thus in 1931 a considerable increase in the total number of accidents resulting in personal injury which were recorded by the police, but a decrease in the number of fatal accidents as compared with 1930. The figures for England and Wales show similar changes, the total number of accidents resulting in personal injury being 165,521 (an increase of 23,127) and fatal accidents 5,851 (a decrease of 466). The total number of persons killed or injured in England and Wales was in 1931 190,831 (an increase of 22,329), and the number killed 6,026 (a decrease of 496). These changes in the number of persons killed and injured respectively suggest that the increase in the total number of accidents resulting in personal injury may be more apparent than real and attributable to the police obtaining fuller information regarding the accidents which occur by reason of the institution of the motor patrols and the new requirements of the Road Traffic Act as to the reporting of accidents. The figures from many police districts support this view, but it is to be noted, on the other hand, that those for the Metropolitan Police District show a decrease in the total number of persons injured as well as a decrease in the number killed, the totals for 1931 being 1,324 killed and 54,422 injured (not fatally) as against 1,398 and 55,827 respectively in 1930. On the other hand, in some police districts, including, for instance, the parts of Kent and the West Riding of Yorkshire policed by the county police, there was an increase in 1931 in the number of persons killed as well as in the number of persons injured. Amongst the cities and boroughs in England and Wales, Birmingham had the highest total of killed or injured during 1931, namely, 5,688, an increase of nearly 800 over the previous year. This figure, however, is exceeded by Glasgow, where the number of persons killed or injured was 5,904, which is, however, nearly 300 less than in 1930. The Liverpool figures show an increase in persons killed or injured from 4,447 to 4,648, and those for Manchester an increase from 3,571 to 3,848. Wales as a whole had a total of 232 killed 'and 7,422 injured, as compared with 270 killed and 5,816 injured during 1930. In Scotland the corresponding totals show a de- 277W crease of 124 killed and an increase of 1,427 injured, the totals for 1931 being 659 and 17,342 respectively.