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ROAD ACCIDENTS
During the year,10 deaths occurred as a result of road accidents
as compared with 5 deaths in the previous year.6 deaths occurred in
persons aged 45 years or over and only 2 in persons of school age.
4 of the fatal accidents involved pedestrians and 2 involved pedal
cyclists, and it is interesting to note that in these 6 cases, 3 were
knocked down by lorries, 2 by vans and one by a trolley bus. In no
case was a private car involved. On the general question of road
accidents, I would refer here to a report received from the Secretary
of Finchley Road Safety Committee, who reports as follows:—
" CHILDREN : The increase in road accidents is mainly to
children under 7 years of age as pedestrians (generally unaccompanied
by an adult) and to child cyclists under 10 years of age. Every
effort should be made to ‘educate' parents of young children but
this is not an easy matter. Children of school age receive instruction
at school and the Road Safety Committee arrange Film Shows for
parents in School Halls with the fullest co-operation of Head
Teachers.
"Child cyclists: Analysing the figures, there is an increase to
young cyclists, most of them are given bicycles at an early age, e.g., 7,
but there is a continued decrease in the age group 10—16. Finchley
has one of the finest child cycling schemes in the country—each child
is given 2 lessons prior to taking the Cycling Proficiency Test and
it is noted that machines are in a much better condition than between
1948—1950 (schemes started in 1948) and most of the senior schools
do not permit a pupil to cycle to school unless he or she has taken
the test. This cannot be insisted upon in the Grammar Schools which
cater for children outside the Borough owing to the limited facilities.
In the summer term, each year, the top forms of Junior Schools have
this training so that the majority of Finchley children proceeding to
a senior school in September have passed the test. The interest of
parents has increased so that Saturday morning classes for children
resident in the Borough but attending schools outside are extremely
well attended. Children as passengers in trolley buses now seldom
meet with an accident, due to their education on not boarding or
alighting other than at recognised stopping places.
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