Motoring . The Cause of Accidents THERE is no blinking the
fact that the figures given in the Report on Fatal Road Accidents published last week are extremely depressing. The Minister of Transport deserves well of his public for having had this immense inquiry made, the first of its type and, it is to be hoped, the first of a regular series. It provides us with useful knowledge, with facts which, however unpleasant, must in the end be of assistance in the never-ending attempt to end a deplorable situation. Yet when the scheme was first started, over a year ago, was there anybody in the whole country with experience of our peculiar road-problem who imagined that the investigation would bring such facts to light ? The Report is one of the most disturbing publications any Department has ever issued.
In the first place it proves that public opinion has been completely at fault. Most people expected to read that, while a certain proportion of the fatal accidents of 1935 were caused by dangerous behaviour on the part of drivers of cars, and motor-cycles, and of pedal-cyclists and pedestrians, the greater part would be shown to be owing to a variety of factors, chief of which would be the design and build of the roads themselves. That view is shared by the Government itself, which has just completed a vast scheme for modernising the highways throughout the country at a cost of millions. It is an admirable scheme and one for which we have waited for years. Except France, which has little need of it, we are the last country in Western Europe to rebuild and bring up to date the arteries on which so enormous a volume of traffic is carried at such high speeds. Spain, traditionally still living in the sixteenth century, led the world in road- safety seven or eight years ago, to be imitated later by Germany, Italy and Austria. Great Britain comes last.
There is no minimising the shock of the figures that show how the blame for fatalities is apportioned. Roughly speaking the Report proves, so far as proof is possible, that the emptier and therefore the safer the roads the more frequent the accidents. It is worth while repeating the figures : out of 6,500 accidents in which 6,500 people lost their lives more than 60 per cent. happened on straight or open roads with good visibility, and about the same percentage happened " under conditions of very light traffic." Against the latter, which actually numbered 3,736, only 213 took place in dense traffic.-- The part borne by the roads themselves in these accidents must be very small. All our preconceived notions are thereby upset. The fault lies in the users of the highway and not, as one had hoped, in the builders.
The evidence is damning enough, not only against the driver of every mechanical vehicle (except those of coaches and 'buses, who have a comparatively, clean record) but against pedestrians and cyclists. Among the causes attributed by the police to drivers of cars and riders of motor-cycles are such familiar and deadly crimes as inattention, excessive speed, having regard to conditions, failing to stop or reduce speed when necessary to avoid danger or when dazzled, turning into or out of roads without due care, cutting-in, overtaking " improperly," pulling out from the side of the road, hugging the crown of the road. Cyclists caused fatalities by excessive speed, swerving, losing control, turning into or out of the road without regard to the traffic, crown-hugging. A note to this table adds that out of 280 accidents caused by careless turning into or out of roads 195 happened whea the cyclist was making a right-hand turn—that is, straight across the double line of traffic.
The Report states that 83 per cent. of the pedestr.ans who lost their lives were the sole or main cause of their own deaths, but that in some of the 105 accidents " ascribed to hesitation when crossing the carriageway the speed of the traffic or the manner in which vehicles were being driven may have caused the pedestrian to hesitate." The majority of the deaths were caused, as one would expect, by inattention, with " walking or running out from in front or behind vehicles which masked movement " next in order of deadliness, but every single cause comes under the comprehensive heading of carelessness. Is it to be believed ? The majority of these fatalities took place where the traffic must have been at its most obvioui, if not at its easiest to avoid.
All through the report the charge of gross negligence is repeated. More than half the accidents occurred in broad daylight, and just under 80 per cent. of them in clear weather. Fog, which always brings a long tale of disaster on the morning after, accounted for 2 per cent. only. Again, about 40 per cent. of the cyclists' accidents happened at uncontrolled road- junctions, the total for every class of road-user at these points being no fewer than 1,370.
There is no more comfort to be got from " other causes." Where the roads themselves were primarily responsible for disaster only 27 out of the 44 accidents were attributable to blind corners or road bends ; and trams, to so many nervous drivers the real terror of suburban areas, accounted for Only 19 accidents altogether. Skidding caused only 162 car and 6S pedal,cyclelaccidents,.which is perhaps the most surpriiing total of all, closely followed by the " equipment " total. There were only 144- fatalities caused by defeetive equipment or, working parts, of which 57 were owing to inadequate Or no front or rear lights, or dazzling lights, 41 to defective, -or smooth-worn tyres, 41 to defective brakes and 15 to steering failure.
An interesting point is the revelation that most of the private cars involved in fatal accidents were of low power, only 503 out of the total being of from 12- to 16-h.p., the re- mainder being 571 of 8-h.p. or less, and 1,048 of from 8- to 12-h.p. It might be justifiable to argue from this that more novices were responsible than experts if it were not for the statement that " inexperience" accountedfor only 38 accidents. Yet under,the paragraph " Experience of_ Drivers" you read that of the motor-cyclists 8.5 per cent. had held a 'licence for less than 6 months, only 2 per cent. of the car-drivers. There were 43 deaf drivers and 20 blind in one eye. - Read it as you like, this Report leads you invariably to the one conclusion that most of the deaths on the road are caused by the dingerOus' or senseless behaviour of the majority of road-users. So far as could be ascertained by the police the effect of the built-up areas has been good, but as the Report points cut it is not possible to make-a strict comparison with the 1933 results, when the definition of areas was-left to the discretion -of Chief Constables. The '1935 figures 'show that of the accidents attributed to 'excessive speed 194 occurred in built-up areas as - agitinst 281- in the open. Finally, fatal aoOdents were caused by 923 motor. Cycles, 714 private airs, 294 vans, lorries, &c., 69 public conveyances, 7 " other " mechanically propelled vehicles and-22miscellaneous, including (Note.-7–Readers' requests for advice from our Motoring Correspondent on the choice of new cars should be accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope. The highest price payable must be given, as well as the type of body required. No advice can be given on-the-purchase,- sale or exchange of used cars.1- - -
Previous page
