§ 80. Mr. K. Thompsonasked the Minister of Transport if he will instruct his divisional road engineers to consult local opinion as represented on watch committees before decisions are made concerning the removal of pedestrian crossings on trunk roads.
Mr. BraithwaiteI do not think that this is necessary. It is the established practice for the divisional road engineers to consult local authorities about crossings on trunk roads. No doubt local authorities take the advice of the police into account in arriving at their own views.
§ 81. Mr. K. Thompsonasked the Minister of Transport if, in any review of pedestrian crossing policy, he will bear in mind the need for such crossings on some unrestricted trunk roads; and if he will consider methods of marking which will give warning to drivers of their approach to such crossings.
Mr. BraithwaiteIn general, I am sure that it is unwise to have uncontrolled crossings on unrestricted roads. In the rare cases where they are justified a standard warning sign—"Pedestrian Crossing Ahead"—is normally erected.
§ 82. Mr. K. Thompsonasked the Minister of Transport the number of accidents associated with zebra crossings which have resulted in deaths, serious injuries, minor injuries, respectively, since the crossings were instituted.
Mr. BraithwaiteI regret that I cannot give my hon. Friend all the detail he wants but since the Regulations prescribing zebra crossings came into force on 31st October, 1951, until the end of April, 1952, there have been, in built-up areas, 65W 1,331 casualties to pedestrians on zebra crossings and 2,449 such casualties within 50 yards of zebra crossings. In the same period total casualties to pedestrians in built-up areas amounted to 25,663.