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REPORT OF CONFERENCE ON ROAD TRAFFIC NOISES AND
PRIORITY OF TRAFFIC AT CROSS ROADS.
To Lieut.-Col. The Rt. Hon. Wilfrid Ashley, M.P., Minister of Transport.
1. On the 8th October and later dates you caused a letter to be addressed
to the organisations which we represent stating that you had been giving con¬
sideration, in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, to the
widespread complaints of the undue traffic noises, such as arise from the sound¬
ing of strident motor horns and from the use of motor vehicles which are defective
in design or construction, or are inadequately maintained, or are carrying loads
which are loose or inefficiently packed.
It was stated in this letter that you had decided to- make these matters the
subject of regulation, in so far as you were empowered to do so, with a view
to the amelioration of the present conditions, and that you desired to convene a
conference for the purpose of consulting representatives of the local authorities,
the police and the motoring organisations as to the form such regulations could
most conveniently take.
2. As a result of this invitation a conference was constituted as follows :
Sir Henry P. Maybury, G.B.E., K.C.M.G., C.B., M.Inst.C.E.
{Chairman).
Ministry of Transport.
H. H. Piggott, Esq., C.B., C.B.E.
J. S. Pool Godsell, Esq., O.B.E.
P. C. Franklin, Esq.
H. E. Aldington, Esq.
E. S. Perrin, Esq.
Home Office.
A. L. Dixon, Esq., C.B., C.B.E.
Scottish Office.
R. N. Duke, Esq., D.S.O., M.C.
Metropolitan Police.
F. L. D. Elliott, Esq., C.B.
City Police.
Col. H. S. Turnbull, J.P.
County Police.
Col. A. F. Poulton, C.B.E.,
Chief Constable of Berkshire.
Borough Police.
J. Farndale, Esq., C.B.E.,
Chief Constable of Bradford.
County Councils Association.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., and
F. H. Berryman, Esq.
Association of Municipal Corporations.
C. H. Kemp, Esq.,
Town Clerk of Cambridge.
Convention of Royal Burghs.
Sir Henry Keith.
Lrhan District Councils Association.
E. C. King, Esq.,
Clerk to the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council.
Rural District Councils Association.
Edward Knox, Esq.
Royal Automobile Club.
Col. F. Lindsay Llovd, C.M.G., C.B.E.
Mervyn O'Gorman, Esq., C.B
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Motor Legislation Committee.
A. E. Cave, Esq., J.P.
A utomobile A ssociation.
W. V. Gibson, Esq.
Royal Scottish Automobile Club.
Robert J. Smith, Esq., C.B.E., C.A.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
R. S. Spicer, Esq.
Commercial Motor Users Association.
F. G. Bristow, Esq., F.C.I.S., M.Inst.T.
National Road Transport Employers Federation.
P. R. Turner, Esq.
Institution of Municipal and County Engineers.
E. J. Elford, Esq.,
Borough Engineer of Wandsworth.
Chief Constables (Scotland) Association.
James A. Christie, Esq., O.B.E.,
Chief Constable of Greenock.
A. D. Smith, Esq. C.B.E.,
Chief Constable of Glasgow.
Institution of Automobile Engineers.
L. H. Hounsfield, Esq.
(Mr. Basil H. Joy acting as substitute at first meeting).
The Earl Howe.
3. Conferences were held on Thursday, the 25th October, Thursday,
the 8th November, and Thursday, the 3rd January.
4. At the first Conference tentative draft regulations which had been pre¬
pared in the Ministry were circulated for the purpose of focusing discussion.
After consideration of these draft regulations it was decided to refer them to
a special Drafting Sub-Committee, consisting of the following :—
Mr. A. L. Dixon.
Mr. R. N. Duke.
Mr. E. L. D. Elliott.
Mr. C. H. Kemp.
Mr. J. S. Pool-Godsell.
5. As a result of their deliberations, and after considering the Sub-Com¬
mittee's report, the conference desire to make the following recommendations.
6. We consider that a regulation should be made under the Motor Car Acts
to deal with excessive and avoidable noise from motor vehicles which are badly
constructed, badly loaded, or in a faulty condition, and we gave much time and
thought to its form. Many suggestions were put forward and discussed, and
then discarded for various reasons, but we scarcely think it necessary to deal
with these points in detail. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the
regulation should be upon the following lines, subject to the approval of the
Minister's legal adviser as to its legality and detailed drafting :—
" No person shall use or permit to be used on any highway any motor car—
(i) which, or any part or accessory of which, or
(ii) the load of which
creates any excessive noise, and for the purpose of these Regulations
any noise shall be deemed to be an excessive noise if it is caused either
directly or indirectly by—
(i) the faulty construction, condition, lack of repair or adjust¬
ment of the motor car, or any part or accessory thereof; or
(ii) the faulty packing or adjustment of the load of such motor car;
and such noise is in excess of the noise ordinarily created by motor
cars of similar class. Provided that it shall be a good defence to
proceedings taken under this Regulation—
3
(a) to prove that the noise or the continuance of the noise in
respect of which the proceedings are taken was due to some
temporary or accidental cause and could not have been pre¬
vented by the exercise of due diligence and care on the part
of the owner or driver of the motor car; and
(b) in the case of proceedings against the driver or person in
charge of a motor car to prove that the noise arose through
the negligence or fault of some other person whose duty it
wras to keep the motor car in proper condition or in a proper
state of repair or adjustment, or properly to pack or adjust
the load thereof, as the case may be."
7. We then considered the possibility of framing a regulation to prohibit
or control the use of horns or other warning instruments of a strident or un¬
pleasant note.
8. The Sub-Committee made some preliminary enquiries as to the types
of horns in common use and the practicability of framing a definition which
would serve to distinguish those which have a low and pleasing note from those
which have a strident and irritating one, as a result of which it is understood
that, in a general way, all horns fall into one of three groups, namely:—
(i) Wind blown (either by hand or fan);
(ii) Electric motor driven (the " Klaxon ") is a typical " saw tooth
example of this type; and
(iii) Electric buzzer type (practically the standard fitment on all new
cars of to-day).
9. These groups, however, do not afford a basis for a regulation, as we were
informed that it is possible to make horns of any of these groups with either
objectionable notes or melodious notes.
10. As a result of their enquiries and deliberations the Sub-Committee
were unable to find any definition which would satisfactorily distinguish between
the various types of horns according to their notes, whether pleasing or other¬
wise, and reached the conclusion that if any such regulation was to be made the
only course would be to permit specific types, e.g., bulb horns or other types which
have been proved satisfactory by some kind of test which remains to be deter¬
mined.
11. In our view the complaints against excessive and nerve-racking noise
from motor horns constitute a legitimate grievance, but, in approaching con¬
sideration of this subject, it is essential to consider the causes, which fall auto¬
matically under two heads (a) unduly strident notes, and (b) unnecessary and ex¬
cessive user, particularly at night during normal sleeping hours.
12. On the first point a more powerful horn may be reasonable on the open
road in rural areas, where comparatively high speeds may be justifiable, certainly
in the daytime, though, in the hours of darkness, the warning given by head¬
lights should reduce the necessity for the use of strident horns to a minimum.
13. The second point is even more difficult, particularly in inhabited areas
at night. We have explored the possibility of instituting " Zones of Silence "
where motor horns should not be permitted to be sounded at all, or, alternatively,
that they should only be sounded when there is some vehicle, pedestrian, or
animal in sight which necessitates the use of the horn on grounds of public
safety. This suggestion met with the uncompromising opposition of the motoring-
organisations, upon the ground that nothing should be done to interfere with the
discretion of the driver of a vehicle in this matter, and in view of the practical
administrative difficulties inherent in the enforcement of any such regulation.
14. In this connection we were impressed by the point stressed by the
motoring organisations that, in any case of accident, the first question asked,
not only by the police, but by the insurance company, is " Did the driver sound
his horn? " the answer to which, at any rate if it is in the negative, is largely
regarded as an indication of responsibility for the accident, and therefore a
premium is placed on the blowing of horns unnecessarily, and this is
undoubtedly done.
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(a) The crossing of two roads of major traffic importance:
(b) The crossing of a road of major traffic importance by a road of less
traffic importance;
(c) The crossing of a road of major traffic importance by a subsidiary
road of quite minor traffic importance.
28. For each of these cases a suitable lay-out can be provided to induce
drivers of vehicles to act according to the traffic value of the road on which he is
travelling, and the diagram attached to this Report illustrates the type of lay¬
out which we consider would be suitable for each of the three cases referred to
above, as follows :—
No. 1. A complete roundabout suitable for crossing '' a '
No. 2. A partial roundabout suitable for crossing " b."
No. 3. Staggered subsidiary road, suitable for crossing " c."
29. We recommend therefore that when roads are being enlarged in future,
or new roads are being constructed, sufficient land should be taken to enable a
junction to be laid out in accordance with one of these systems, according to
which is considered to be the most appropriate. Where it is not possible to lay
out such a junction, we feel that at any rate at the more important crossings
illuminated beacons should be placed at the inter-sections of roads.
(Sgd.) HENRY P. MAYBURY
{Chairman)
26th February, 1929
LONDON:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.
To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses :
Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2; 120, George Street, Edinburgh;
York Street, Manchester; 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff;
15, Donegall Square West, Belfast;
or through any Bookseller.
1929.
Price Id. Net
(4213-19) W.P 3014- 2071 6000 5/20 P.St. G3
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
Warning Sign for Subsidiary Road
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