AS he opened the 1935 Scottish Motor Show at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall, George, the Duke of Kent, praised the achievements of the “still-young” motor industry. It had “certainly made phenomenal progress and revolutionised the entire life of every civilised country,” and was now the third largest in Britain, employing - either directly or indirectly - more than 1.5 million people.
The Duke (pictured arriving at Central Station, where he was greeted by Lord Provost John Stewart and Lord Weir of Eastwood), said the car had possibly done more to develop Scotland than England: “People are now beginning to realise what a wonderful country it is to explore.”
He said car-makers had put emphasis on the safety of drivers and passengers, but added: “I am sure you will all agree that the number of fatal accidents on our roads is a matter that requires the most serious attention.” Car-makers could not be blamed “for much of the bad and careless driving that unfortunately we see all too often.” He highlighted the problems caused by the increasing numbers of cars on the roads, and said the issue of road safety was “largely bound up with the questions of the roads themselves, that the construction of wider and safer roads is essential in securing greater road safety.”
That day’s Glasgow Herald said a young cyclist had been struck and killed by a car, while it was thought that a labourer found with head injuries “may have been knocked down by a passing motor vehicle.”
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