HC Deb 12 December 1968 vol 775 cc213-5W
Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the designed traffic capacity of the A4 road between Reading and Newbury.

Mr. Bob Brown

The theoretical traffic capacity for design purposes is about 11,000 vehicles per day where there is a single carriageway and about 25,000 vehicles per day where there are dual carriageways.

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the designed traffic capacity of the A4 road between Newbury and Hungerford.

Mr. Bob Brown

The theoretical traffic capacity for design purposes is about 11,000 vehicles per day.

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give details of the volume of traffic using the A4 road between Reading and Newbury during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The daily average numbers of vehicles for the last five years are as follows:

1964 14,427
1965 15,665
1966 16,902
1967 18,420
1968 20,000

The figures for 1965 and 1968 are based on actual counts. The others are calculations, based on assumed growth rate.

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give details of the volume of traffic using the A4 road between Newbury and Hungerford during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The daily average numbers of vehicles for the last five years are as follows:

1964 9,997
1965 10,866
1966 11,735
1967 12,680
1968 13,829

The figures for 1965 and 1968 are based on actual counts. The others are calculations, based on assumed growth rate.

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of fatalities that have been caused by accidents on the A4 road between Reading and Newbury during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The numbers of fatalities during each calendar year have been:

1964 5
1965 12
1966 12
1967 12
1968 to 2nd December, 1968 19

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of fatalities that have been caused by accidents on the A4 road between Newbury and Hungerford during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The numbers of fatalities during each calendar year have been:

1964 6
1965 6
1966 3
1967 7
1968 to 2nd December, 1968 8

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of accidents involving personal injury that have occurred on the A4 road between Reading and Newbury during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The numbers of accidents involving personal injury during the last five years are:

1964 133
1965 138
1966 112
1967 149
1968 to 2nd December 1968 126

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of accidents involving personal injury that have occurred on the A4 road between Newbury and Hungerford during each of the last five 12-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Bob Brown

The numbers of accidents involving personal injury during the last five years are:

1964 43
1965 48
1966 43
1967 48
1968 to 2nd December, 1968 39

Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give details of the results of the experiment with offset double white lines on the A4 road between Reading and Newbury, taking into account the relative volumes of traffic; and how these results compare with similar experiments elsewhere in Great Britain.

Mr. Marsh

The number of accidents involving injury on the A4 length of road marked with offset double white lines was 9 per cent. higher than would have been expected from the experience on comparable roads selected to reflect the same increase in traffic volumes.

The actual increase in injury accidents of 17 per cent. was not as high as that at 5 of the other 7 experimental sites in England, but showed the same significant trend which led to the experiment being abandoned.

Back to