HC Deb 28 April 1970 vol 800 cc259-61W
16. Mr. Longden

asked the Minister of Transport what was the average daily number of deaths on the roads between 23rd December, 1969 and 2nd January, 1970, inclusive; and what was the average daily number during the rest of 1969.

Mr. Mulley

23 and 20 respectively.

46. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Minister of Transport how many road accidents there were in the South West over Easter; what increase this represented; and whether he will now give higher priority to improving the roads of the area.

Mr. Bob Brown

During the Easter holiday there were 291 road accidents in the South West, an increase of 18 per cent. over the figure for the previous Easter. The accident rate is one of the factors taken into consideration by the Ministry and by local authorities when deciding the priority of road improvement schemes. As the hon. Member knows, a large number of road schemes are now in preparation, programmed or under construction in the South West.

51. Mr. Newens

asked the Minister of Transport how many road accidents occurred in England and Wales during the course of 1969 in which the jackknifing of an articulated vehicle was a contributory cause; and how many people were killed and injured in such accidents.

Mr. Mulley:

Information available for the first six months of 1969 shows that 32 vehicles jack-knifed in fatal accidents and 405 in other injury accidents. These figures include cases of jack-knifing which resulted from accidents due to other causes, as well as those in which jackknifing was itself a cause. Statistics of the casualties in these accidents are not readily available.

60. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Minister of Transport what is the increase of motor vehicles on the roads since 1938 and the increase of accidents, fatalities and other casualties during the same period.

Mr. Bob Brown

Following are the increases between 1938 and 1969:

Motor vehicles —11,154,000 (364 per cent.).

Injury accidents—66,114 (34 per cent.).

Fatalities —735 (11 per cent.).

Other casualties—119,100 (53 per cent.).

76. Mr. Henig

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made with his measures to prevent further multiple crashes on motorways.

Mr. Bob Brown

Since December we have installed the improved signal system on further stretches of M1, M18 and A1(M) in the West Riding and have let contracts for a further 100 miles of motorway, bringing the total mileage under contract to over 400. We continue to work for improved driving behaviour in many fields, and stress in our publicity the need for drivers to recognise their responsibility in dangerous conditions.

Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Transport how many children under the age of 14 have been killed or injured in road accidents during the last five years.

Mr. Bob Brown

Figures for children under 14 are not available for all years. Following are the figures for children under 15.

Killed Injured
1965 … … 900 61,101
1966 … … 879 61,069
1967 … … 885 62,131
1968 … … 890 63,072
1969 … … 870 61,786

Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to introduce compulsory third-party insurance to cover pedestrians and animals involved in road accidents.

Mr. Mulley

No.

Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Transport what is the ratio of fatalities and accidents to the number of cars over the last five years.

Mr. Bob Brown

Following are the ratios per million cars licensed:

All road fatalities All injury accidents
1965 … … 8.9 336
1966 … … 8.4 307
1967 … … 7.1 269
1968 … … 6.3 244
1969 … … 6.6 233

Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of fatal road accidents in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 expressed in terms of a ratio to deaths through other accidental causes and murder, respectively.

Mr. Bob Brown

Following are the ratios of deaths for the years 1965–68:

Road Accidents/ Other Accidents Road Accidents/ Murder
1965 … 0.60 48
1966 … 0.59 52
1967 … 0.55 38
1968 … 0.51 36

The ratios for 1969 are not yet available.

Mr. Henig

asked the Minister of Transport what recent representations he has received from the automobile associations and from road safety organisations, respectively, about the problem of multiple crashes on motorways; and what replies he has sent.

Mr. Bob Brown:

We keep in close touch with both motoring and road safety organisations on this subject, as on many others, but we have received no representations from either recently.