London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southall 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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ROAD SAFETY
The number of motor vehicle accidents occurring within the Borough of Southall was
greater than in 1956. Seven persons, two of whom were children, were killed in street
accidents. Six of these fatal accidents were on the main traffic roads, one only was in a second
class road at the junction with another. Four were pedestrians, two pedal cyclists and one
a motor cyclist and the details are as follows:—
Persons Killed
Type of Road User Cause of Accident Age Sex
* Pedestrian Pedestrian crossing road knocked down by passing
private motor car 76 M
Pedestrian Pedestrian crossing road struck by private motor car 65 M
Motor Cyclist Private motor car collided with motor scooter at "T"
junction 23 M
Pedal Cyclist Pedal cyclist fell from machine whilst passing stationary
lorry 44 M
Pedal Cyclist Collision between London Transport Executive double
decker bus and goods truck causing bus to lose
control and hit pedal cycle parked by kerb and then
boy pedal cyclist 12 M
Pedestrian Pedestrian crossing road from North to South on
uncontrolled pedestrian crossing knocked down by
private motor car travelling East 73 M
Pedestrian Child escaped from control and ran from west pavement
into path of car travelling south 5.11/12 M
| Adult | School Age | Under 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Slight | Serious | Slight | Serious | Slight | |
| Pedestrians | 20 | 35 | 2 | 9 | - | 4 |
| Total 55 | Total 11 | Total 4 | ||||
| Pedal cyclists | 10 | 60 | 3 | 9 | - | - |
| Total 70 | Total 12 | Total - | ||||
| Private motor car passengers | 4 | 21 | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Total 25 | Total 1 | Total 1 | ||||
| Private motor car drivers | 1 | 10 | ||||
| Total 11 | ||||||
| Motor cyclists | 11 | 80 | ||||
| Total 91 | ||||||
| Drivers of other vehicles | - | 11 | ||||
| Total 11 | ||||||
| Passengers in other vehicles | 5 | 44 | - | 4 | ||
| Total 49 | Total 4 | |||||
| Fatalities | Adult Total | 312 | Children Total | 33 | ||
| Adult Total | 5 | Children Total | 2 | |||
The majority of these accidents were on the two main roads through Southall which
carry a very heavy traffic. The Road Safety Committee of the Borough Council maintained
a full programme of education in road safety in which the Metropolitan Police took an active
part. The Southall school children received constant training and exhortation on the use
of roads.
For the four previous years it had been possible to report that no child died in Southall
as a result of a road accident, but this satisfactory state of affairs has not been maintained.
There were fewer children injured on the roads, i.e. 33 as compared with 55 in the previous
year, but the adult total of persons injured whether seriously or slightly was increased
from 289 to 312. Of the seven dying as a result of motor accidents in Southall four were
Southall residents including the two children; four other Southall residents died as a result
of motor accidents received when they were away from home.
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