The Royal Commission on Motors.
The advent of the motor vehicle, driven by an internal combustion engine, was remarkable for its suddenness and its rapid development.
The motor was only in the experimental stage in 1896, yet four years later several thousand were on the roads, and this number increased in another five years to 60,000. That vehicles should be driven along the public highways at thirty and forty, and even fifty miles an hour, was subversive of all ideas of what was prudent and safe, and when these vehicles set up clouds of dust in their progress, there was a public outcry. This was fully justified, for the speed at which motors were driven was undoubtedly excessive. On the other hand, the public did not realise the complete control which the drivers could exercise, even at high speeds.
The Government, in response to the popular demand in 1905, appointed a Royal Commission on Motors, of which I was nominated a member. Viscount Selby was appointed the chairman, and the other members were the Marquis of Winchester, Sir Edward Henry, Chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir David Harrel, K.C.B., and Mr. Munroe, C.B., of the Local Government Board.
We held about fifty sittings, extending over a year, and examined over sixty witnesses, representing the Highway Authorities, the various motor clubs and manufacturers, and a large number of persons who were opposed to the use of motors on the high roads, unless limited to a low rate of speed.
The enquiry was interesting and instructive. It brought out the fact that much as many people object to motors, they one and all agreed that they had come to stay. It was also proved that since railways had withdrawn the heavy traffic from the highways, the roads had been allowed to fall into poor condition, and to this could be attributed some part of the complaints as to dust. I was personally in favour of limiting the speed to twenty-five miles an hour in the open and ten miles through towns and villages; but as all the other members of the Commission felt that in the open country we should rely upon the powers of the present Highway Act, which makes it a serious offence to drive at a speed causing danger to the public, and were in favour of a no-speed limit, except through villages, I gave way so that our report might be a unanimous report. We made a long list of recommendations for the better regulation of motor traffic. I am glad to say our report was well received, and although no bill has been introduced to give legal force to its recommendations, they are being very generally acted upon.
I have often since regretted that I did not press my recommendation restricting the speed in the open to twenty-five miles an hour, as I feel it would have largely solved the speed question. The powers under the Highway Act would still have remained, compelling motorists to drive at all times with due regard to public safety.