Important -Recommendations by Safety Committee
Page 56
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MANY matters which are likely, in the future, to affect the commercial vehicle industry are embodied in the Final Report of the Committee on Road Safety. This report has emerged from recommendations of the Airless Committee and an interim report of the safety committee in 1944.
Beginning with lengthy consideration of general problems of road safety, and many recommendations for closer control of pedestrians and cyclists, and for the compulsory inspection of almost every type of vehicle at permanent publicly owned stations, the report goes on to mike important recommendations about public service vehicles, trams and trolleybuses,. and the construction, equipment and maintenance of commercial vehicles in general.
Fixing Bus Stops
Outside the London Traffic area; it is stated, neither the Minister of Transport nor the Licensing Authorities for Public Service Vehicles appear to have power to control service stopping places for trams and trolleybuses. It is recommended that consideration should be given to the introduction of legislation enabling the Licensing Authorities, in consultation with the police, to fix such stops, as they at present fix those for motorbuses.
Principles for siting of stops are suggested in some detail. Agreement is found with the conclusions of the Committee on Design and Layout of Roads in Built-up Areas as regards waiting bays or lanes, but these should not be constructed at the expense of adequate provision for pedestrian traffic.
Agreement is also found with the views of that committee in the matter of provision of queue barriers and shelters. Care, however, should be taken, says the report, that these are not erected in such a way as to lessen the value of footpaths. .
Matters of Construction
Recommendations are then made on matters of construction, equipment and maintenance, which were not fully dealt with in the interim report.
The Alness Committee had• proposed that the use of stop lights and direction indicators should be made a legal and sufficient signal, it is mentioned. The safety committee gave particular consideration to the question of signal's at night, and states that signals by hand at night, under unfavourable conditions, are inadequate. In its view, the fitting of direction 'indicators and stop lights should be Made Compulsory. Vehicles which could not reasonably be required to carry them (land tractors, locomotives, etc.) would needto be excepted, and tinne-would have to be allowed for the adaptation of other vehicles.
The committee thinks that driving mirrors, properly used, are of the greatest value to road safety, and it has considered whether existing requirements are adequate. In the view of the committee, it should be made compulsory for vehicles -to have an outside mirror and, except where this is not practicable (e.g., in •a boxvan), an internal mirror.
The committee states that it was asked to consider a suggestion that the permissible overall length of articulated vehicles should be increased from 33 ft. to 40 ft.
-The committee however, considers that "an increase in the permissible overall length of articulated vehicles might increase the congestion factor in busy and/or narrow thoroughfares, with consequent danger to road users." In these circumstances it is unable to recommend the adoption of the suggestion.
"We have considered a suggestion," states the report, "that the requirements as to ground clearanae for public service vehicles and trackless trolley vehicles might safely be relaxed."
Views of the police on this matter had been entertained, and the committee had been persuaded that the length of ground clearance of trolleybuses might, with safety, be reduced to 12 ft., and that a similar relaxation might be permitted when alterations in the design of other vehicles to which the regulations apply make this advisable.
The committee had been asked to consider whether the provision of guard rails between front and rear wheels of commercial vehicles should be made compulsory. Such a requirement was included in Construction and Use Regulations, 1931, to come into operation in 1933, but it was revoked.
Compulsion Not Needed
The matter later went to the Transport Advisory Council, which concluded that compulsory provision of guard rails on vehicles other than public service vehicles would not be likely to effect a contribution to public safety sufficient to justify regulations. The Road Safety Committee agreed generally with this, and suggested further investigation. In the meantime, consideration should be given to the possibility of designing a lightweight guard rail, which might be capable of more general use than those fitted to public service vehicles. There should be consideration of the use of wing-nuts for securing the bolts of guard rails on buses, to facilitate their removal in the event of an accident.
In its interim report the committee outlined the advantages of central entrances and pneumatic sliding doors. Reports from experiments in London and three provincial towns showed that vehicles with this kind of entrance reduced to a minimum the risk of step accidents. In general use, however, there would appear to be operational difficulties as follow:— (a) Larger fleets might have to be needed, as seating capacity might not be so great. (b) This might add to congestion and accidents.(e) The conductor might have to stand in such a position as. to impede passengers. (d) If the driver operated the door his attention might be distracted. (e) It was difficult for the conductor both to collect fares and work the doors. (f) A " p.a.y.e." system might ease the conductor's work, but it would not be satisfactory unless used in conjunction with a system of universal flat rates.
Sliding Doors for Safety
Despite these considerations, the committee had no doubt that buses with power sliding doors make for safety, and the difficulties could, it suggests, be overcome by modification of design.
Further experiments should be carried out, concluded the committee, and Ilia co-operation of the • Public Transport Association and the Municipal Passenger Transport Association should be sought.
The report goes into considerable detail as to evidence showing that an alarming number of vehicles is not roadworthy. It is interesting to note, in this connection, that Mr. G. R. Strauss, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, who has presided over the committee for the past two years, said at Brighton on Tuesday that out of 209 goods vehicles examined at a recent inspection, 108 were defective, 53 cases warranting prohibition of use.
The report says: "It would appear that the existing arrangements to ensure the roadworthiness • of public-service vehicles are reasonably satisfactory. Goods .vehicles, however, are not subject to regular periodic inspections, and the powers of inspection in relation to brakes, silencers, and steering gear of all motor vehicles are, we believe, not widely exercised."
Concession for P.S.V.s
It is recommended, therefore, that any power to require public-service vehicles to be presented at proposed public testing stations should be exercisable at the discretion of a certifying officer. Trailers should not be exempt.
The report has not yet been considered by the Minister. With its publication the work of the committee comes to an end. It is, however, being replaced. by one which shrld be a permanent feature of the Ministry.