§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report figures for the number of accidents of all kinds involving children on their way to and from school, which occurred during the six months of autumn and winter in the years when British Standard Time was in operation, and the six months of autumn and winter in the years since the reversion to Greenwich Mean Time.
§ Mr. CarmichaelThis information is not available in the form requested, but the following table gives the number of fatal and serious road casualties among children of 5 to 14 at different times of the day.
the two associated M1 accidents on 26th July 1974; and if he will make a statement.
185W
§ Mr. MulleyYes. At about 5 a.m. on 26th July 1974 an articulated lorry travelling south along the M1 in the left-hand lane went across the carriageway and crashed into the safety fence on the central reserve, causing a lighting column to lean over the carriageway ahead. A few minutes later a double-deck coach manœuvering to avoid the obstruction, went out of control and overturned. Three passengers were killed and 13 seriously injured.
At this point, just south of the junction 11, the southbound carriageway rises uphill. The left-hand lane was worn and tracked and the carriageway was programmed for resurfacing. At the time of the accidents it was raining and the road was wet; but it was daylight and visibility was fairly good. The lorry was unladen. The evidence available suggests that both vehicles were in good order and were being driven within their respective speed limits. Neither driver is to be prosecuted.
The lorry was fitted with a load-sensing device designed to prevent jackknifing during braking; but there is no evidence that the driver braked before going out of control, nor reason to suppose that the lorry jackknifed on this account. The investigation of similar recent accidents tends to confirm that it is particularly hazardous to apply undue power to an unladen articulated vehicle travelling on a road surface that is both worn and wet; this appears to be the most likely explanation.
I have recently received a report on the general problems of jackknifing, including the comparatively rare phenomenon of jackknifing under power, and shall be making a statement as soon as possible. In the meantime I am taking steps to warn drivers of articulated vehicles of this particular danger, which hitherto has been less than fully recognised, and to advise them how to avoid it.
Highway authorities have been reminded that where the conditions of the road surface present an unseen hazard warning signs should be displayed; and I am also examining means of identifying and giving special attention to lengths of road which could be hazardous in particular circumstances.
186WPublic service vehicles have an excellent record of safety. Their stability is stringently tested when a new model goes into production, and although the bus involved in the accident was a double-decker there is no reason to suppose that this was a contributory factor. Nevertheless, I intend to consider the desirability of applying to double-decker buses and coaches the same restrictions on motorways as to speed and exclusion from the overtaking lane as apply to heavy lorries. I will, of course, consult both sides of the bus and coach industry before reaching a decision.
Any serious road accident must be deplored, particularly one in which people are killed. But motorways are in fact far safer than other roads, and the tragic events of 26th July should not lead the public to conclude that there are enhanced dangers in travelling on them.