Motor Vehicles (Accidents) (Hansard, 26 February 1962)

§ Sir Richard Glyn
asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the proportion by which the number of motor vehicles on the road in 1960 exceeded the number in 1938; and if he will give the proportion by which the number of fatal and seriously injured road casualties in 1960 exceeded the number in 1938.

§ Mr. Marples
The following are the figures:

MOTOR VEHICLES, MOTOR VEHICLE MILEAGE AND ROAD CASUALTIES IN 1938 AND 1960

Motor vehicles (thousands) Index of motor vehicle mileage (1949=100) Fatal and serious casualties

1938 3,066 102 57,430

1960 8,941 242 91,413

Ratio 1960 to 1938 2.9 2.4 1.6

§ Sir Richard Glyn
asked the Minister of Transport in what proportion of fatal or serious accidents in the twelve months to the last convenient date drivers of cars or riders of motor cycles were reported to be going too fast, learners, affected by alcohol, ill, fatigued or physically affected, and not reported to be in any of the above category.

§ Mr. Marples
The table below gives the figures for the numbers of car drivers and motor cycle riders involved in fatal or serious accidents who were reported as falling into one of the categories asked for. I regret that it is not possible to state in what proportion of accidents the driver was reported to be in any of the stated categories, since any one acci-106W dent may have involved two drivers reported in one of the categories concerned. The table shows instead the number of drivers in each category as a percentage of the total number of drivers or riders involved in accidents. The numbers and percentages in the given categories cannot be added together in order to deduce proportions of drivers and riders not reported in these categories, because one driver or rider may have been included in more than one category in the table; for example, an accident may have involved a learner driver who may also have been reported as going too fast having regard to conditions.

YEAR 1960

Number^* Per cent. of total^* number of drivers involved in accidents

(a) Number of car drivers† reported as: III, fatigued or physically defective 229 0.5

Going too fast having regard to conditions 3,651 8.1

Learners 1,025 2.3

Intoxicated§ 288 0.6

— Number^* Per cent. of total^* number of riders involved in accidents

(b) Number of motor cyclel‡ riders reported as:

III, fatigued or physically defective 70 0.3

Going too fast having regard to conditions 3,073 13.4

Learners 4,565 19.9

Intoxicated§ 38 0.2

^* See terms of Answer.

† Including taxi drivers.

‡ Excluding moped and motor scooter riders.

§ Restricted to cases where an arrest was made (or would have been made but for the death or serious injury of the person concerned) whether or not a prosecution followed.

MOTOR VEHICLES, MOTOR VEHICLE MILEAGE AND ROAD CASUALTIES IN 1938 AND 1960
	Motor vehicles (thousands)	Index of motor vehicle mileage (1949=100)	Fatal and serious casualties
1938	3,066	102	57,430
1960	8,941	242	91,413
Ratio 1960 to 1938	2.9	2.4	1.6

YEAR 1960
	Number^*	Per cent. of total^* number of drivers involved in accidents
(a) Number of car drivers† reported as: III, fatigued or physically defective	229	0.5
Going too fast having regard to conditions	3,651	8.1
Learners	1,025	2.3
Intoxicated§	288	0.6
—	Number^*	Per cent. of total^* number of riders involved in accidents
(b) Number of motor cyclel‡ riders reported as:
III, fatigued or physically defective	70	0.3
Going too fast having regard to conditions	3,073	13.4
Learners	4,565	19.9
Intoxicated§	38	0.2
^* See terms of Answer.
† Including taxi drivers.
‡ Excluding moped and motor scooter riders.
§ Restricted to cases where an arrest was made (or would have been made but for the death or serious injury of the person concerned) whether or not a prosecution followed.