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The Secretary of the Road Safety Committee informs me that in the Borough during 1951 there
were 519 road accidents. These accidents caused 12 deaths, serious injury to 98 persons, and slight
injury to 508 persons. In the Borough there are 5 miles only of road with no speed limit and on these
5 miles occurred 83 per cent. of the deaths, 47 per cent. of the serious injury and 43 per cent. of the slight
injury. This " toll of the roads " can be prevented but only if motorists, cyclists and pedestrians exercise
due care and consideration for others. How this can best be developed and encouraged has been the
subject of many suggestions and many methods are being tried. While improved roads, lighting, etc.
may reduce the risk of road accidents the real remedy is in the hands of the individual road users. Care
and courtesy can control crashes and casualties.

It will be seen that the fall in the infant mortality rate has generally been steady and continuous.
On theoretical grounds an infant mortality rate in the neighbourhood of 20 should be possible and the
falling rate encourages the hope that practice may yet catch up with theory.
Maternal Mortality.—The number of deaths due to causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth
was nil. This gives a maternal mortality rate per 1,000 total (live and still) births of nil as compared
with 0.8 for England and Wales. Maternal deaths are usually divided into those due to septic infection
and those due to diseases and other conditions associated with pregnancy and labour, and the local trend
of deaths from these two causes is shown below:—
Maternal deaths per 1,000 total (live and still) births.
Sepsis Other Causes Total
1930-34 2.6 1.7 4.4
1935-39 1.0 2.1 3.1
1940-44 0.7 1.2 1.9
1945-49 0.2 1.2 1.4
1950 — 0.8 0.8
1951 — — —
Here, as throughout the country, advances in the prevention and treatment of septic infections
can be measured by the considerable reduction in deaths from septic abortion, puerperal fever, etc.
Fluctuations in the number of maternal deaths due to causes other than sepsis serve to remind us of the
need for improving ante-natal and obstetric care.