Motorists still a big danger for pedestrians - despite less fines
IS this the oldest surviving film footage of Huddersfield?
Dating from 1900, the film depicts workers from Joseph Lumb & Sons of Folly Hall, with the camera facing up Chapel Hill.
According to the Huddersfield Exposed website, the film was screened at Huddersfield Town Hall in 1900 by variety hall manager Ralph Pringle and ventriloquist Loder Lyons.
Both men can be spotted on the footage attempting to direct workers past the camera.
The film initially shows boys playing on the banks of the River Colne by the sluices of the Engine Bridge Dye Works. It attitudes to pedestrians’ rights.
He said: “The statistics for deaths and serious injuries over the same period show no improvement and do not reflect the decreasing number of fines so it’s likely that the reduction in fines is actually a result of less enforcement rather than an improvement.”
Across Great Britain there were then cuts to workers leaving Joseph Lumb & Sons.
The footage has attracted several comments after it was posted on YouTube.
Several people have pointed to the popularity of caps, hats and shawls among the workers.
One said: “If you look closely at the film you will see that everyone except for one young boy have their heads covered.
“The head covering on the women is a shawl, which would rest on their shoulders indoors and be pulled up over the head outside – making it practical as well as warm.”
The short film was commissioned by exhibitor Arthur Duncan Thomas of Bradford and filmed by Mitchell & Kenyon of Blackburn. 22,346 pedestrians involved in accidents and 453 died in 2011 while in 2016 23,102 pedestrians were involved in accidents and 448 of them were killed.
Mr Chambers added: “Our supporters from all over the country tell us the police are not enforcing the rules intended to secure the safety of people walking.
“Vehicles parked on the pavement, blocking the footway and forcing people to walk in the street are one example of the kinds of rules that simply aren’t being enforced.”
A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesman said: “All police forces are committed to reducing the harm on the roads by ensuring offenders Student Sarah Palmer, pictured in 2015, voiced her concerns over drivers failing to stop for pedestrians walking across a Zebra crossing on Deighton Road face tough penalties when they break the law.
“While there are fewer officers available, many forces now enter into local and regional partnerships to gather intelligence that helps to better target enforcement, such as information about repeat offenders or local areas where particular offences are more common.”