There are currently over 40 million motor vehicles in Great Britain. And if we consider that presently there are about 70 million people living here, that means that over half have access to a vehicle. Of course, that is not true, but think about what it might have been like when there were very few cars on the roads. Was it safer in those days for drivers, passengers and most importantly, for pedestrians?
The motor car has been around for about 120 years. They were very different from what we have today, especially in performance. Many card today have a maximum speed of twice the motorway limit and some supercars can reach 200 miles per hour. Even though cars are much safer these days, if there should be an accident, the pedestrian is still the weakest link.
Accidents and unfortunately, fatal accidents are still a part of daily life somewhere in the country. But, when was the first motor accident in Britain and what were the circumstances surrounding it? To answer this, we have to go back to the 17th August 1896 and to the grounds surrounding the Crystal Palace in south London. Cars were still a rarity. In fact, at the time of the first accident, it is thought that there were probably no more than 20 cars in the whole of the country. So, what exactly happened?
The vehicle involved was a Roger-Benz car driven by a Mr Arthur Edsall. He had a passenger on board; a lady by the name of Alice Standing. The car was owned by the Anglo-French Motor Company and was used as a demonstrator for potential customers.
Unfortunately, during the journey, a Mrs Bridget Driscoll was crossing one of the park’s roads when she was hit by the vehicle. With her was her daughter May and a friend. They were physically unhurt but Mrs Driscoll was killed.
There was of course an inquest held into the incident to establish the exact circumstances and if there was any blame to be attached. Mr Edsall maintained that he was travelling at no more than four miles per hour. He also added that the vehicle had been modified to have that as a maximum speed. The normal speed of this car was said to have been eight miles per hour.
However, there were witnesses who stated that in their opinion, the speed was faster than four miles per hour. One person even remarked that the car was travelling at a “tremendous pace” and then compared it to a horse at full gallop. As part of the investigation, the car was tested and was found to be incapable of going faster than four-and-a-half miles per hour. There was a jury present to decide on any guilt. After a period of six hours, they came back and gave a verdict of accidental death. At the summing up, the coroner, a Mr Morrison, expressed regret for the death and sympathy for the family. But, he finished with some words which could have been the most erroneous ones in history. He said that he hoped that such an accident would never happen again.
John Pullen 