ROAD DANGERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10535, 9 August 1912, Page 2

ROAD DANGERS.

LONDON'S ACCIDENT LIST.

Last year >4lO people were killed by vehicles in the streets of London, a number greater than the total killed 011 the roads and in the streets of twentyfour English counties with a total population of sixteen millions. In the Metropolitan Police district, which practically covers the whole or Greater London, and in the City of London, the fatalities were due to the following causes:— • Horse omnibus . . 1 Horse tramway-cars . 1 Horse carts, etc. , 120 Motor-omnibuses . . 107 Electric tramways . . 26 Motor-cabs, cars, etc. . 155 Street accidents reported by the police not ending fatally were ascribed in the following proportions:— Horse omnibuses . . 136 Horse tramway-cars . 44 Horse carts, etc. . . 5290 Motor-omnibuses . . 1947 Electric tramways . . 2330 Motor-cabs, cars, etc. . 5401 70,000 MOTOR VEHICLES. Nino years ago there were but thirteen motor-omnibuses running in the streets of London. In 1907 the number had increased to 1205. To-day there are more than 2000, additions beimjj made to the number at the rate ot about 30 a week. Nine years ago there was a solitary motor-cab on the streets; to-day there are -7000. Electric tramway-cars have increased enormously in numbers, from 576 in 1903 to more than 2500 in 1912, Nearly 250 more are now being built. Nearly 70,000 motor vehicles of all descriptions have been licensed by the London County Council. . It is plain from the figures illustrating the growth of mechanical traction in the streets, compared with the accidents and fatalities arising out of the use of those vehicles, that Londoners do not accommodate themselves to the changed conditions of traffic. It is the varying speeds of horse and mechanical vehicles which make it impossible for the Londoner to judge distances when crossing a street. In addition to this confusion the traffic is mixed, the slow keeping in line with the fast until the driver of the faster vehicle sees his opportunity to get ahead. VANISHING HORSE. London has got rid of, during the past eight years, over 5000 hansomcabs. 1500 four-wheeled cabs, 200 horse omnibuses, and over 1000 horse tram-wav-cars, a total of 9500 public horse vehicles. In those eight years the number of fatal street accidents has increased from 172 to 410, and the nonfatal accidents from 11,688 to 15,154. Tho last number is, however, nearly 3000 below the figures for 1908, the year when 2000 motor-cabs wero put on tho streets. The motor-omnibus death toll for the past seven years compared with the number of these vehicles licensed is significant, as the following table-shows: — No. of Year. Fatalities. Omnibuses. 1905 . . 3 241 1906 . . 25 783 1907 . . 35 1205 1908 . . 62 1133 1909 . . 52 1180 1910 . . 66 1200 1911 . . 107 2000

About one-third of the parsons killed in the street's by motor nnd horse vehicles arc children under tlie ago of fifteen. In 1905, out of a total of 172 persons killed 79 were children; in 1906. 110 out of 212; in 1907, 113 out of 293; in 1908, 133 out of 344; and in 1909, 115 out of 30<j. The figures of child fatalities for TJID nnd 1911 are not vol, availably.