France, I see, is claiming that French motorists are more
careful or more skilful than British, as proved by the fact that in the six years 1926-31 almost exactly twice as many people were killed on English roads as on French. The argument leaves me entirely uncon- vinced.. In the first place, French roads are far emptier than.English. In the second place, they are far straighter. In the third place—and this to my mind is the decisive factor—over vast stretches of the country there are no hedges. As. a consequence there is virtually no cross- road danger. Take away the English hedge and the number of road fatalities will drop instantly. The loss would be immeasurable, and no one will propose such vandalism. Our business is to learn how to save both our hedges and our lives (or other people's). But the. fact remains that, as anyone who has driven in France knows, motoring is child's play when the open road stretches like a ribbon for miles ahead and every car coming in from a side road is visible for half a mile or more before • it gets to the junction. Motoring ought to be safe under those conditions.
* * * *
Previous page
