§ Sir R. Russellasked the Minister of Transport if she will give details of the accidents which caused long hold-ups on the M1 on successive evenings recently; how many casualties there were; what proceedings are being taken against any 202W of the drivers involved; and what lessons are to be learned from these accidents.
§ Mr. CarmichaelI assume the hon. Member is referring to the accidents that occurred on M1 in Hertfordshire in October. There were 58, involving altogether 186 vehicles. There was one fatal injury, and 2 serious and 24 slight injuries. 3 prosecutions are pending.
The accidents occurred on lengths of road where reconstruction works are being carried out on the hard shoulders. In these areas the slow lane takes the place of the hard shoulder and normal traffic is restricted to two lanes. During peak periods these restrictions reduce the speed of traffic flow and call for increased patience on the part of drivers.
The police have said that the cause of the accidents is impatience and bad driving.