Chapter 1: the working context

Safety

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Of all the influences which the motor vehicle has on the environment the question of safety should be put foremost. It is not really possible to separate this from the matter of accidents, which has already been discussed. To be safe, to feel safe at all times, to have no serious anxiety that husbands, wives or children will be involved in a traffic accident, are surely pre-requisites for civilised life. Against this standard, subjective though it may be, the conditions in our towns resulting from the use of motor vehicles obviously leave a great deal to be desired. There are now virtually no urban streets that are completely safe. Even ten years ago there were residential streets where few people owned cars, and where the only traffic was the occasional coal lorry or furniture van, but now most domestic deliveries are made by motor vehicles, and many of the residents have cars. These changes have resulted in continuous movement of vehicles up and down the street; and where, as is so often the case, there are no private garages, the cars stand in the street and create additional hazards for children. Moreover, as main roads have became congested with traffic, drivers have sought alternative routes, only too often using streets unsuitable for the purpose, or invading areas which by any standard should have a measure of peace and quiet about them. Some of this infiltration has taken place by drivers on their own initiative, in other cases it is the result of official policies for expediting the movement of traffic (Figure 22).